Tangled Up In You
by kcbeatles
Summary: Rating is M. Assumes Phantom Planet never happened. Last chapter?
1. Chapter 1

Plasmius had Danny Fenton by the neck. The boy struggled in vain. "This time, I'm done" was his last thought as the darkness enveloped him.

Plasmius set Danny on the lab table. Anger boiled within him. This was it - his perfect opportunity to rid himself of the past, to rid himself of the cause of too many sleepless nights. With Danny Fenton gone, there would be no more reminders of Maddie to distract him from his plans. No one else would dare challenge him. Plasmius resumed the form of Vlad Masters and walked back to the table. "Daniel looks so fragile in his human form",

Vlad thought as he stared down at him. "How could someone so young cause me so much trouble? I see you in my sleep. You keep me from what I want. Your father is an idiot. You should belong to me." This thought scared Vlad. "Where did that come from?"

Try though he might, Vlad couldn't bring himself to kill Danny. He was angry, but in a secret place in his soul, he loved the confrontations he had with Danny Phantom. Nothing and no one ever challenged him the way Danny did. And the tension between them when they met in human form was almost intoxicating. They begrudgingly kept each others secret and at times joined forces to fight a greater foe. "Oh, Butter Biscuits", he cursed, and transformed into Plasmius once again. "I know I'm going to hate myself for this in the morning", he said as he picked up Danny and returned him to his home.

He put the boy in bed gently, removed his sneakers and pulled the covers around him.

Danny had a nasty bruise on his neck from their latest encounter. At that moment, Vlad would have done anything to heal the boy. His heart ached at the thought of what he had almost done. Finally, he admitted to himself that he loved Daniel Fenton.

Danny turned on his side, facing Vlad. A frown marred his face. Vlad saw the wisp of blue escape Danny's lips as he shuddered. Vlad leaned down and chastely kissed Danny

And then was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mmmm. I'm warm. God, I love my bed" were the waking thoughts of Danny Fenton. His eyes opened with a start. "What?" He looked around and couldn't believe he was actually in his bed. "I'm supposed to be dead, or worse! How did I get here?" He closed his eyes and rubbed them. "There's no way that was a dream" He stood up and found he was still in his clothes, minus his sneakers. His clothing reflected the previous night's battle. "OK, so it was real. That makes me feel better. But who brought me back home? How did they get me away from Vlad?" Danny's confrontations with Vlad bothered him on a deeper level than his fights with other ghosts. The others were a nuisance. They made him angry (especially when they bothered his family or friends to get to him). But the fights with Vlad were way personal. Sometimes he would dream things were different between the two of them. They were the only two in existence that were hybrids. He wished that the older halfa could let go of his anger, stop hating his father and stop trying to kill him. He wished the man could be his friend. Daniel was no fool, however. He never tried killing Vlad in their fights, but personal injury was quite another matter. He fought with his head, never letting emotion get in the way.

When Danny saw his reflection in the mirror, he started shaking. The imprint of a hand around his neck was unmistakable. "Oh, man. I'm never gonna be able to hide this. Damn Plasmius." What really bothered Danny most was that he couldn't deny the seriousness of the situation any longer. Vlad wanted him dead. It hurt him to know that someone hated him that much. Anyway, hadn't Plasmius started the whole thing? He was the one who lured Danny's family to Wisconsin. He was the one who tried to kill his father. He was the one that tried to break up his parents. "

I guess I won't hold back anymore," he thought glumly. For the moment, however,

his problem was hiding the bruises. He found his cell phone and dialed Sam.

"Hello" the Goth girl answered.

"Hey Sam. Man, I need some help."

"Who was it this time and what assignment didn't you finish?"

"Plasmius. And, I'll have you know that I finished my homework before he showed up"

"Sorry. What happened?"

"He tried to kill me."

"He always tries to kill you, Danny."

"No. This time it was different. We were both in human form when it happened. He tried to strangle me. I blacked out and woke up in my bed. I have his handprint around my neck. It looks awful. If my parents or Jazz sees this…"

"Got any turtlenecks?"

"Um, NO. When have you ever seen me wear one of those things?"

"OK, I have an idea. I'll be over in ten minutes. Find a black t-shirt. Bye."

"Bye, Sam. And thanks."

True to her word, Sam was at the Fenton's door and was just about to ring the bell when she felt herself being lifted. When she reached the roof of the Op Center, Danny became visible and set the two of them down. He then changed into human form.

"Oh My God!" Sam shrieked. The bruises were a sickly purple. Danny looked worn out. There were bags under his eyes. His hair was a mess. His clothes were ripped and bloodied.

"Handsome, aren't I?" Danny quipped. "That was why I brought you up here. They still may have heard you."

"You can't go to school Danny. Look at you. Lancer is gonna take one look at you and call the police."

"What was your idea?"

"The art student look," she said holding up a scarf, glasses and a black retro blazer. "But as bad as that looks, a t-shirt won't work. I'm gonna call Tucker and see if he has a turtleneck."

"Foley, Tucker Foley," the missing member of the trio answered.

"Tuck, it's Sam. Do you have a turtleneck shirt or sweater?"

"Um, yeah. Why?"

"How fast can you get to Danny's?"

"I was leaving now anyway. What's up? Bad night on patrol?"

"Wait 'till you see him. Bring the shirt."

"OK. See you in a few"

Tucker was visibly shaken at the state his friend was in.

"Dude. You need a hospital. Are you sure you can breathe ok?"

"I'll be ok Tuck. Did you bring the sweater?"

"Yup. Is black ok?"

Danny and Sam both looked at each other, then said in unison "Perfect"

The two friends helped Danny dress. The turtleneck did hide most of the mark. Sam dabbed cover-up on the small spot that was still showing. The blazer made the shirt believable. Once he combed his hair, he looked more presentable. He took hold of Sam and Tucker and phased them to the door.

"See you guys in a few" Danny said with a wink.

Sam and Tucker decided to give Danny a few extra minutes to grab some breakfast before they knocked. They had all been in this situation before, but somehow, this time it seemed more serious.

"Tuck, I know he looks tired and beat up, but does he look depressed?"

"Are you kidding? A night with Plasmius would depress anyone. That fruit-loop won't leave him alone. I hate to say it, but I think maybe he should tell his parents."

"Oh, yeah. That'll go over real well. They're just gonna accept him with open arms, no questions asked and no freaky experiments. No way should he tell them."

"Think he's had enough time to brush and floss?"

"Yeah. We're gonna be late. I hope he can pull this off. He'll have the weekend to recuperate."

"I'm sure he can get past his family. What I'm not so sure about is Dash or Valerie."

"Sam, do you always have to make me worry more?" Tucker asked with a groan.


	3. Chapter 3

Vlad Masters didn't sleep that night, or for several nights thereafter. His revelations at once excited and repulsed him. The boy's youth troubled him greatly, for even though Daniel had matured farther as a ghost than he might have otherwise, he was still sixteen.

"What does that make me?" Sometimes during their fights, Vlad could feel an added tension – the kind he'd felt when he was in the same room with Maddie. Only this time, it came from the boy fighting him. Nothing was ever said though, and Daniel didn't think twice about doing him some serious damage. As he thought back to those fights, a realization hit him. He knew Daniel was good at what he did. He managed to beat him on several occasions without Vlad "throwing the game." He posed serious threat to Daniel's life and liberty on a regular basis. Through all of this, Daniel had never once tried killing him. Even after the last threat he posed to Daniel's friends, in the end, all the boy did was ectoblast him out of his house. "More than reasonable." Vlad thought. "Dare I believe …" he mused. Never in his life had Vlad Masters felt so insecure.

He hated the fact that a sixteen year old boy could reduce him to this state.

For some time, Vlad had been fighting the fact that all of his money and power had left him extremely unfulfilled. Maddie still loved the big fat oaf she married. She never even gave Vlad a second glance. His mansion was empty and so was his life. It was hard for him to accept that he had wasted so many years fighting for something he couldn't have and left him no chance of finding anything that would make him happy.

When he first heard about the ghost boy, he wanted to make the child his. The Ghost Zone grapevine was staggeringly on-target in their observations and assessments of the halfa. The need for gossip was non-existent there. When he saw the boy for the first time, he felt something he never had before. He didn't know what it was. His surprise at the ghost child being the son of the idiot who ruined his life, well, that made the feeling even more intense. After he tried explaining to the boy why he would be so much better with Vlad Plasmius, the boy called him a fruit loop. He humiliated Vlad and needed to pay.Each encounter with the boy was worse.

The tempers and the tension.

After the fight with Pariah Dark, when he locked the sarcophagus and brought Daniel home, he wanted take the boy home and tend to him in private. He wanted to take care of Daniel and let him know how proud of him he was. Daniel, however, didn't trust Vlad. He hammered him with questions and insults until Vlad could take no more. He declared the momentary truce over, told the boy to watch his back and disappeared, leaving the both of them hurting.

Now, here he was, Vlad Plasmius, having improper thoughts about a nuisance of a ghost that shouldn't exist in the first place. Vlad was doing what he always did when his thoughts got to be too much for him. He blamed Jack Fenton. His heart was changing though. It was subtle and he didn't know it yet, but he was beginning to let go.

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Danny managed to get through the day with only a few stares from his fellow classmates, thinking that the boy was trying once again to fit in with the popular crowd. Sam & Tucker carried Danny's books and did their best to make sure no one bumped into their injured friend. Sam thought Danny might have broken ribs and wanted him to go to the hospital. Tucker of course, sided with Danny.

All that was left to do was get home before…

"Hey Fenton! Where ya running to? My fist wants to have a few words with you."

"Not now." Danny said softly. He knew if the jock hit him, he would be seriously injured. On the other hand, when he was at the hospital, he could blame it all on Dash. He was lost in thought for a minute when Tucker shook him.

"Uh, Danny. You might wanna think about getting around the corner and going ghost. You can't let him pound in you today."

"Yeah. Help distract him?" Danny pleaded.

"Like we always do." Sam answered.

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Now that Danny was finally alone in his room, he felt somewhat safe. He gingerly peeled off the turtleneck and went to look at himself in the mirror. His neck was a few different colors and his chest was purple. He had cuts and bruises everywhere. He sighed and fell

onto his bed. He wondered how awful a person he would be if he gave up ghost hunting. He wanted to stop caring. He just wanted to live his life. He was finally doing well in school and wanted to be able to qualify for a scholarship. He was tired of playing hero and protector. He was tired of putting his friends in danger. He was tired of having to stay one step ahead of his parents. He was tired of not knowing who he was.

To say he was confused would be an understatement. Danny was depressed because everyone he knew was either dating or had dated. Everyone but him. He knew in his heart that he loved Sam. He dropped hints here and there, hoping she'd pick up on them and he wouldn't have to be the one to take the risk. She never did, though. This left him believing that she saw him only as a friend. He wasn't willing to lose that.

Valerie was a passing phase. He wanted to play with fire and he knew it. Her dumping him was the best thing that could have happened for him. Paulina was never a realistic goal for him, only one he could appreciate enough to appear normal. He did think she was hot.

No one excited him though. So, he declined all of the school dances and activities that he thought were boring. He would have gone if Sam had wanted him to, but he never saw any inclination that she did. He wanted to move on. He just felt stuck.

The frequent fights he'd had with Plasmius lately weren't helping his state of mind. He still couldn't believe that the man wanted him dead. It scared him. He never let anyone know it though. He couldn't. What was he going to do now?


	4. Chapter 4

Danny saw nothing of Vlad Plasmius for weeks. He wasn't so lucky with the others and lately, there were a few new ghosts added to the mix. They kept Danny very busy. He hadn't seen his friends after school for a few days. He was trying to distance them a little from the constant fight that was his life. His grades were good thanks to him admitting to his sister he could use her tutoring help. Meanwhile, he let his friends believe the fighting had tapered off a bit so he had time to study.

Jazz was thrilled to be helping Danny in a normal-not ghost hunting way. She had been worried about him since the accident. The frequent scrapes he found himself in caused her many sleepless nights. When Danny got his mid-term grades, he walked over to her, gave her a hug (in front of their parents) and said he couldn't have done it without her.

It was one of the prouder moments of Jazz Fenton's life.

He spent the better part of Saturday with Jazz, studying algebra. Jazz knew something was bothering Danny. He just wasn't acting right. When they finished the chapter, she looked at him and asked "Who did you fight and how bad did you get hurt?"

Danny's jaw dropped. Who had told her? "Um…I", he sputtered.

"Look Danny. I know something is wrong. You look terrible. You're wearing this strange get-up. It's Saturday and you didn't even try to blow off studying. Sam and Tucker haven't shown up for your usual movie-fest. So how about it little brother?"

"Look, you have to promise that this stays with us. Can you do that?"

"Well that depends. I…"

"Sorry Jazz," Danny interrupted. "Either you promise or you let it go."

"Ok," she sighed, thinking that at least talking it out was a good thing. She quickly changed her mind when Danny took off his shirt. Nausea was the last thing she felt before she passed out.

She woke up to Danny stroking her hair soothingly. When he realized she was awake, he said "Sam had the same reaction, you know. Only she saw it the morning after"

She sat up and looked at him. He had gotten dressed again. He was embarrassed by the whole thing. He hated anyone seeing the shape he was in. It made him feel weak.

He told Jazz about the fight he'd had with Plasmius and about waking up in his bed. He told her that for the first time, he thought he was going to lose. The scars and bruises were healing but still visible. Danny swore he could still see Vlad's handprint.

He was still shaken by what happened. And right now, he felt alone. His sister was a great help to him, but something was missing. He told Jazz he needed to go out. She knew that meant Danny wanted to fly. She gave him a hug and told him she was there if he needed her. Danny smiled and nodded. Once his sister left the room, two white rings formed at his waist. "Going Ghost," he said to no one.

The flight over Amity Park wasn't as relaxing as Danny had hoped it would be. He still enjoyed it, but he couldn't shake the empty feeling in his chest and the thoughts he was having of Vlad Masters.

Danny had tried asking a few of the more harmless ghosts if they knew who had helped him get home. No one had any information for him. A few had threats and Skulker had new ecto-skeleton upgrades that he wanted to test on his favorite prey. Danny had given up hope of finding out the truth. It bothered him all the same.

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Danny just couldn't catch a break. All he wanted to do was go out and try to clear his mind. All of a sudden, ecto-blasts were being fired from several directions. Valerie had been chasing Skulker when she spotted the ghost-boy. Danny was hit several times and fell to the ground. The fight continued above while Danny lost consciousness and transformed into Danny Fenton.

When Danny woke up, Skulker had him in an ecto-trap. He couldn't transform or escape. Skulker was so sure he was victorious this time. He had beaten the ghost-hunter girl in their mutual quest for the ghost boy and here was his prize. He had hit Valerie's hover-board with a blast and knocked out a motor. She dove off the board just before it crashed into a tree.

Skulker was just trying to decide what to do with the ghost-boy when a pink blast hit him. Another blast hit the sphere holding Danny. His powers were still drained, but he was free and decided to do something very human. Run.

He was hiding behind a dumpster praying for his powers to come back. In the distance, he saw evidence of the battle between Skulker and…who? Who was fighting on his behalf? Valerie was out of commission. (not that she would help _him_, but still…) He was finally able to go intangible and he flew towards the fight. Skulker had just been blasted into a billboard by… Vlad!


	5. Chapter 5

Danny watched in shock as Plasmius blasted Skulker again and again. "No one… (blast)…touches Daniel… (blast)…but Me!" (Big blast). Skulker flew off in defeat.Suddenly, Vlad's ghost sense went off. He straightened up, whipped around and saw Danny. He narrowed his eyes at the boy and said "Be gone."Danny, however, was not easily dismissed.

"Why were you helping me?" he demanded.

"Do not mistake my actions for mercy, dear boy."

"Yeah. I heard. You're the only one that gets to torture and kill me."

"Oh, you know that, do you? Then why are you still here?" Vlad asked, before throwing a blast in Danny's direction.

Once again, Danny looked at Vlad with sadness and anger in his eyes. He took a deep breath and fired at his nemesis with all his might. Vlad was surprised by the force of Danny's attack. He realized that the boy had truly held back in previous fights. He knew that although Danny could hurt him, he wouldn't be able to kill him. At least, not yet.

Vlad was able to fire back at Danny, hitting him and knocking him to the ground. The force of the blasts he'd fired coupled with the fall knocked the boy out. The white rings formed at his waist and transformed him.

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When Danny woke up, he was in the parking lot of the Nasty Burger, surrounded by kids from school, who thought that someone had, yet again, beat the boy up. He tried standing up, only to fall into Mr. Lancer's arms.

The teacher had seen the gathering and figured the football team was picking on someone. When Danny fell, the teacher yelled for someone to call an ambulance. He couldn't understand what was happening to this kid. He was always bruised up and always looked like he hadn't slept in days. "How in _The Name Of The Rose_ is he keeping his grades up?"

When the ambulance pulled up, Danny panicked. "I can't go near a hospital looking like this. The tests…my parents…they'll find out. What do I do?" he thought.

"Son, what happened?" the paramedic asked.

"I tripped. I'm…uh…kinda clumsy sometimes. I'm sorry for all the fuss."

"Well, it looks to me like you've been in a pretty bad fight. Are you _sure_ you tripped?"

"Yes. Yes sir."

"I still think we'd better get some x-rays done on you. Has someone called your parents?"

"No…um. Can someone call my sister?" Danny asked, still hoping to avoid having his parents involved.

"Sure. What's her number?"

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A few hours and many white lies later, Danny and Jazz were back at home. She knew her brother was upset and in pain. She didn't want to make things worse, but she couldn't keep quiet.

"Danny…"

"Please Jazz. Not now. I know, ok. I know. It's getting worse. I just can't go into it right now. I just wanna lie down. Man, my head hurts."

"We will be talking about this Danny. But why don't you try to get some rest now?

"Thanks Jazz. You're the best."

"Don't I know it'" she laughed.

Once he was alone, he went over to the mirror and looked at his reflection. He could almost see his ghost half looking back at him, smiling slightly. He flopped onto his bed and let out a sigh. Vlad had helped him. Vlad had also blasted him, caused his injuries and left him to deal with Amity Park General Hospital. But once again, here he was at home, instead of a pile of ash in the street. And why had he told Skulker that he was the only one who could touch Danny?

Sleep overtook Danny. He was so exhausted that he didn't even feel his ghost sense as Vlad entered the room. He told himself he just wanted to make sure Danny was ok. Deciding it wouldn't do to have anyone walk in on him, he locked the door and went over to the bed. He liked looking at Danny sleeping. The expressions the boy was making made Vlad smile. It looked like he was ghost-fighting in his sleep. Vlad wondered if Danny ever fought with _him_ in his sleep (as he had, many times). Acting on impulse, Vlad bent over the sleeping halfa, cupped his chin in his hand and kissed him. To Vlad's surprise, Danny responded to the kiss slightly, turning his head and seeking out the lips that just touched his. Vlad smiled wickedly, laughed and phased out of the room.

Danny woke with a start, believing his ghost sense had gone off. He sat upright and looked around for a moment. He went to the door and was puzzled. "I didn't lock the door. What…" he trailed off. Without thinking, he put his hand to his lips and shuddered.

He remembered he'd been dreaming of Vlad again, dreaming of Vlad telling him that he didn't want the two of them to be enemies any longer; dreaming of Vlad helping him understand the things that had happened to him and would happen to him; dreaming of Vlad holding him; dreaming of Vlad kissing him. Even in sleep, Danny couldn't escape his enemy and fantasy.

He didn't want to think of Vlad in this way. The man was evil. He wanted to hurt his parents. He wanted to hurt Danny Phantom. "So why can't I think of him without getting hard?" he thought out loud. He was distressed by what he hoped was a crush. Why did it have to be on a guy and why of all people did it have to be Vlad Masters? Still, he couldn't deny what his body told him it wanted. "Crap," he thought."My life just keeps getting better and better." Convinced that it was his dream that woke him, Danny yawned and went back to bed.

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Vlad Masters sat in his favorite chair, drinking tea and contemplating the events of the last several hours. He was upset that Danny had seen him fighting on his behalf, and worse yet was the fact Danny had heard what he said to Skulker. "How can I explain that?"

He hadn't wanted to fight Danny. Why had he come back? He should have gone home, but no. He had to come back and ask those infernal questions. So, to avoid the issue, he had to fight. He could never tell him what he thought and how he felt. Vlad had long ago made peace with his dual nature, sexually speaking. He thought he'd done so with his ghost nature, but lately, Danny turned his life upside down, making him think that there was no need for all the control, all the power he thought he craved. Now, he was thinking he needed love and companionship and knew in his heart that he'd never have these things, especially from Danny.

He knew he was being reckless by going to see the boy in his own home. He couldn't make himself care. "Besides, I'm still stronger than he is. And he wouldn't have carried out a fight with his parents so close," he muttered. At the thought of Danny's parents, Vlad's anger resurfaced. He couldn't understand what Maddie saw in that idiot Jack. He also couldn't understand why Maddie hadn't figured out Danny's secret. It had been two years since the accident. Surely she had to have seen her son's strange behavior. Did she ever question it?

Vlad thought of the way Danny moaned softly and responded to his kiss. He closed his eyes and replayed the memory in his mind. It was all he thought of as he drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Notes for chapter 6

It just occurred to me that I never gave the standard disclaimer at the start of the story so…. I, unfortunately, do not own any version of Danny, Vlad or any of the other characters.

Also, I would like to point out that this is a slash story. It is gonna happen, folks. I can't de-rail my train of thought mid-story. I've delayed my update longer than I'd have liked. I want to make sure this is…tastefully done. If slash isn't your thing, there are plenty of good general stories here at that the business is out of the way, enjoy!

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When two whole weeks without ghost attacks had passed, Danny started getting nervous.

He thought that there was no way the entire Ghost Zone was on vacation. Someone had to be plotting something and Danny was sure that that someone was Vlad Plasmius. He talked about it with Sam and Tucker while they were on their way to the movies.

"…and even the Box Ghost is nowhere to be found. I think I'm gonna go into the Ghost Zone and find out what Plasmius is up to."

"But Danny, last time you ran into him, he tried to strangle you. Do you really think that anyone in the Ghost Zone is going to help you find out anything?" Sam asked him, frowning.

"Yeah. I know I don't exactly have a fan club there, but most of them are afraid of Plasmius. They might talk."

Tucker had watched the conversational exchange as if it were a ping-pong game. He had serious misgivings about Danny messing around in the Ghost Zone. He could still see the image of Danny with the hand-shaped bruise around his neck and believed that Danny needed to tell his parents his secret. Danny Phantom was, in Tucker's opinion, in over his head. He didn't want to hurt his friend's feelings or shake his confidence, but he couldn't see it happen again.

"Danny?"

"Yeah Tuck?"

"The Ghost Zone is a bad idea. You're still not running at full speed. Maybe the universe is cutting you a break and letting you heal. Take advantage of the down time, dude. You needed the break."

Danny couldn't decide whether or not to agree with his friends. In truth, he did savor the sense of normalcy in his life. Here he was on a Saturday night going to the movies instead of being chased by Skulker or Valerie. Some part of him missed the action and the challenge, though. And his premonitions about ghostly matters did tend to come true, so he wasn't sure how he should be feeling. If something bad was brewing, he needed to know about it. He had to be ready.

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For the past two weeks, Vlad Masters was a busy man. The countless business meetings and VladCo acquisitions made him more money and left him exhausted. He hadn't even done any work in his lab lately. He was keeping up a furious work pace in an effort to keep from thinking of anything to do with ghosts. The Plasmius portal was locked and his sometime helpers were nowhere to be found. The ghosts familiar with Vlad Plasmius knew enough to keep away from him when he said he didn't wish to be disturbed.

Tonight, Vlad decided to stay home and relax, have a glass of brandy, maybe read a book.

The one glass of brandy he'd planned to have turned into several. Down time was his enemy, he decided. The alcohol turned his mood dark. He transformed into his ghost half and made for the lab. He looked around at the projects and inventions that were in various stages of completion and sighed. There were reminders of the failed clone experiments that he hadn't gotten rid of. He found himself thinking of Danielle and the circumstances surrounding her creation. He had told Daniel that he wasn't crazy and that he wasn't a villain, that all he wanted was love. His life was empty and he was tired of it.

"Why couldn't I take that child in, give her a home, give her an education and a place to belong?" he wondered. Vlad knew that if he had only treated her as his child, instead of his servant, she would have loved him, called him father and been loyal to him forever.

He and Danielle could have been a family. He found himself missing her and wondering where she was. She had been gone over a year.

His obsession with Daniel was resurfacing, meanwhile, fueled in part by the large alcohol intake. Vlad shook his head violently, as if it would help clear the impure thoughts from his mind. He was just about to go upstairs when his ghost sense alerted him to the presence one of the only visitors that wouldn't need the portal..

"Clockwork. What brings you here?"

"I need your help, Plasmius."

"Oh, you must have me mistaken with someone else. You know what little I care for the fabric of time. You know I'm not completely bound by it. You know that I control my own destiny. Why would I help you?"

"Perhaps because you know your destiny will be lacking. You may not be bound by the rules of time, but you are still on my radar. You think I haven't been watching you? That I haven't been watching the mess you created with the clones? You think I don't know how scared and guilty you felt when you realized you almost killed Daniel Fenton?"

At the mention of Daniel, Vlad flew into a rage. How dare this glorified voyeur come into _his _home and tell him what he thought and felt. He was about to blast Clockwork when the visitor spoke again.

"I know all about everything, Plasmius. I'm here because I need your help and with your help can come your redemption."

"What makes you think…" Vlad started.

"Because evil is lonely, Plasmius. Look around you. What is here for you to take comfort in? You don't want to help, then you leave me no choice but to go to the boy. He may not be strong enough to do what needs to be done, though."

"What do I care?" Vlad huffed.

"Such a pity", Clockwork said as he vanished.

"Meddling nitwit", Vlad said as he went upstairs.

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Danny had just parted with his friends and was on his way home when his ghost sense went off. He looked around quickly and seeing the street deserted, transformed into Danny Phantom.

"OK, come on out", he said.

The next thing he knew, he was being hit with a black and white energy blast that knocked him to the ground, screaming in pain. When he opened his eyes, he saw himself in human form. He turned his head and saw himself as Danny Phantom hitting the ghost that attacked him. Phantom gathered all his energy and hit the being, which splintered into a million pieces. Phantom flew over to his human self.

"You ok?"

"I..I think so." Danny answered as he tried to stand. He fell back to the ground with a thud. Phantom overshadowed him, but was only able to make it into an alley before his energy was spent and Danny was in pain.

"We have to get home" Danny said.

"Duh."

"I'm serious. What are we going to do?"

"You don't have all the answers? Wow."

"What are you mad at me for? I didn't do _this_" Danny said.

"Yeah, that's my fault, right? Every time something goes wrong in our life, it's because of (quote marks) these stupid ghost powers (end quote marks).

Phantom was experiencing the verbal lashings in his consciousness that Danny gave himself regularly when he failed at something. He was really just being hard on himself. It didn't occur to him that Phantom was actually a separate entity. Even when he used the Fenton Ghost Catcher on himself to try to have a fun weekend, he thought that the duplicate was just an extension of himself.

Danny was watching his other half with growing concern. Phantom seemed very angry with him and didn't seem motivated to help him.

"Um…I…I don't feel so good" Danny said.

Phantom floated to where his human half had fallen. Danny's face was pale and his skin was hot to the touch. Phantom retrieved Danny's cell phone from his pocket and dialed the phone numbers of both of his friends with no luck reaching either. Danny was starting to get delirious. He kept asking Phantom to please not leave him, to please help him. Finally, the boy lost consciousness and his ghost half panicked. He tried calling his sister, but she wasn't home either. His form was beginning to flicker and he knew that he needed to either become whole again with Danny or go to the ghost zone to stabilize. This wasn't an option, because Danny's pleading had broken Phantom's heart. He couldn't leave Danny alone. In desperation, he did the only thing that he could think of.

He called Vlad Masters.


	7. Chapter 7

The phone startled Vlad, who had decided sleep would be better than lab work while intoxicated. He looked at the caller I.D. and groaned. He recognized the area code and figured it would be that idiot, Jack Fenton, calling to impose on him somehow. He almost didn't answer, but his curiosity (and hope that it was actually Maddie) got the better of him.

"Hello", he answered condescendingly.

"Help me", was all Vlad heard before the phone went dead. He recognized Daniel's voice and knew something had to be seriously wrong for the boy to be calling _him._

He tried calling the number back, but the call went to voicemail. This left the billionaire with a problem. Daniel called him for help. This meant it had something to do with the secret he kept from his family, although why he didn't call one of his annoying little friends, Vlad couldn't guess. That was, until he remembered his visitor from earlier in the evening. Surely this had to do with the issue Clockwork came to see him about. Sighing, Vlad got up, got dressed and headed to his lab.

"This, I do not need", he grumbled as he transformed into Plasmius. He started tapping away at his computer keyboard. In a matter of minutes, he was able to get the exact location the call came from (thanks to the superior technology his money afforded him).

He then opened the portal and went into the Ghost Zone to find Clockwork.

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In the Hall of Time, Clockwork was waiting for Plasmius to show up. He hadn't counted on the Soul Splitter getting to Daniel Fenton as quickly as he did. This being was a variable, which meant he was not bound by the same laws of time and space that most beings were. It also meant that the being was unpredictable and in the present, it had caused much damage by injuring the ghost child. The ghost half of Daniel Fenton was able to destroy the Soul Splitter with a class of energy he shouldn't possess for another 5 years. Clockwork knew that the ecto-blast the boy had been hit with caused the power increase, but would ultimately kill the halfa, unless he was able to rejoin his human half. Daniel would die from the fever and Phantom alone would not be allowed to survive. Plasmius, being a variable himself, might not heed the call for help and time was growing short for the brave young man lying sick and injured in that alley. As Clockwork watched the screens of past, present and future, Vlad materialized in the Hall of Time and said "What happened to him?"

"He's been attacked. The Soul Splitter found out about him and went on the hunt.

He is going to die."

"Attacked? What did it do? Why won't he survive?"

"He has been ripped in half. Both will perish. Phantom surviving is too risky. He can still become the ultimate evil."

"Do something!" Vlad shouted.

"It is too late" Clockwork told him.

Vlad couldn't believe what he was hearing. After everything Daniel had done for the good of all, he would die? Vlad refused to accept what he was told and disappeared from the Hall of Time without a word. If Clockwork wouldn't help Daniel, he would step in and try to save the boy. He, Vlad Masters, would alter destiny for Danny Phantom.

Alone once again, Clockwork smiled. "Plasmius, your redemption is at hand."

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Plasmius found the pair in the alley, both unconscious. He contained Phantom in his version of the Fenton thermos, picked up Daniel and transported everyone to his home in Wisconsin. Once he was in the lab, he became Vlad Masters once again. He was glad that he never got around to clearing out the clone tanks from the failed experiment. He was able to salvage one and he released Phantom into it, sealed it and filled it with the ecto-matter that would keep his form stable for the time being.

As for Daniel the human, Vlad needed to drop his temperature if he had any hope of being able to reunite the two. In the shape he was in now, Daniel would never survive the fusion. He packed Daniel in ice and kept a constant monitor on his temperature. While his two patients were still out cold, Vlad did some reading. He knew of the inventions Daniel's parents made. There was one that would actually help. "Well, even idiots have their moments, I suppose" he thought. He searched his computer until he found the page containing the Fenton Ghost Catcher. Vlad wouldn't have time to build a replica, so he would have to be able to get the two Daniels back to the Fenton lab in Amity Park. Once he worked out the logistics of the plan, he sat down next to the tank and looked at the ghost inside. Vlad was so lost in his thoughts that he never saw Phantom open his eyes.

"You actually came" he said to Vlad.

"Lucky for you" he sneered.

"Where is he? Is he ok? Why am I in this tank thing _again_?"

"Calm down Daniel. He is here. I'm trying to bring down his fever."

"I never saw that ghost before. I don't know how it was able to do this. The separation…hurt."

"Well, dear boy, for what it's worth, you did manage to destroy it. Did it tell you what it wanted?"

"Yeah. It said "You are mine". Phantom moved around in the tank, hating the confinement, hating what had happened and worrying that he made a bad decision in calling Vlad Masters for help. He stayed silent while Vlad worked on his human half, yet wished the man would talk to him. He couldn't recall ever feeling this alone and afraid. Vlad could feel those green eyes watching his every move. He knew Phantom hated not being free and he wished he could let him loose, but he dared not. He had no intentions of losing his other half to Phantom. Vlad knew the tale of the Ultimate Enemy and knew that though circumstances were different, it could still happen. When he could take no more of the watching in silence, Vlad walked back over to the tank.

"His temperature had dropped to 100o. Once he hits 94o, we leave for Amity Park."

"How are you going to get me back there?"

Vlad put the thermos on the counter and smiled ruefully.

"Oh no you don't."

"It's the only way, Daniel. I can't take the risk of letting you loose. Besides, I doubt you'd have the energy to make the trip on your own."

"Why is letting me loose a risk?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you are separated from your human half, leaving you free to fuse with another." Vlad answered sarcastically.

"Certainly you know what the outcome of such an undertaking can be, don't you? I'm not going to be responsible for that."

"I'm not going to turn into him. All of the things that were supposed to make me him never happened. Let me go. I want to help."

"All I'm going to tell you is that it can still happen. I like Plasmius and I'm keeping him. You will be let loose once you're back in the lab. You need to pull Daniel through the Ghost Catcher with you."

"I thought you were going to help."

"I _am _helping. I can't be anywhere near that thing once you're free. Let's just call it steering clear of temptation."

"Yours or mine?"

Vlad didn't like where this line of questioning was headed, so he went to check Daniel's fever. "He couldn't know, could he?" Vlad wondered. He stayed out of Phantom's line of vision for a few minutes. Those green eyes were burning their way through Vlad's defenses. He was torn between what he should do and what he wanted to do. This posed quite a problem. It was either satisfy his soul, or do what was right. He sighed softly and walked back over to the tank.

"We should be able to leave soon", he said to Phantom.

"Is he ok?"

"For now. When we get to the lab, I'm going to open the release on the thermos and then I have to leave. You will have just enough energy to pull him through the Ghost Catcher with you. I've never been separated from my ghost half, so I can't tell you if it will be painful or not. Once you're through, try to call your sister or your friends. I imagine you'll be out of commission for a while, but you're young and should heal quickly."

"He won't live without me, will he?"

"No. And without him, neither will you. What are you thinking, Daniel?"

"Maybe…I don't know. Maybe I should just give up. I feel like I've been at this forever and it's only been two years. I can't…" He stopped speaking suddenly. Vlad looked at him questioningly.

"This is really messed up. I'm here talking about how hard it is being half-ghost with my enemy, who never misses an opportunity to remind me of how much more experience he has at this than I do."

Vlad smirked at the boy. Since their first fight, they had been trading insults and injuries. To some extent, Vlad enjoyed watching Daniel grow into his powers.

He had really come a long way since their first meeting.

"I don't know that this will be much consolation Daniel, but how do you think I feel? I'm here helping you, the one always ruining my plans, reminding me of my solitude, threatening to get me a cat. I've offered to train you, show you what…" Vlad stopped speaking, because at that moment, he realized that if Daniel had ever agreed to join him, the Ultimate Evil would have been a reality long ago. This truth hit him hard and he sat down, feeling completely lost. He now knew that he would never have what he desired most. Phantom watched as the spark left Vlad's eyes. After a few minutes, Phantom asked "Are you ok?"

"No, Daniel. I'm not." Vlad replied softly. He checked the human Daniel's temperature again, hoping against hope that they would be able to leave. He needed to be alone, He needed to think. He needed to not be in the same room with either Daniel. The thermometer read 95o. The older halfa breathed a sigh of relief. This would all be over soon. He prepared the thermos with ectoplasmic energy, to help keep Phantom stable for the trip, even though it would be short. He knew the extra energy he gave Phantom would help him heal afterwards.

"Are we ready?" Phantom asked.

"Yes. I am going to attach the thermos to the tank. Out of courtesy, I won't be using the vacuum. Once the valve is open, just…go inside. The trip will be short, so don't whine about being cramped inside this thing".

Phantom nodded. He looked at Vlad, wondering why he stopped talking earlier. He knew that some idea or revelation had come to the man, but it had to be pretty bad for it to make him go pale. He felt sorry for Vlad, because he knew how it felt to feel alone and outside of everything. He wanted to say so many things, but didn't. The man's mood could turn volatile in a heartbeat and the last thing he wanted to do was piss off the one person who could help him. As Vlad was connecting the thermos to the tank, he heard a moan coming from the table where the human Daniel lay. This was a good sign. This also meant that he had to get moving before he regained consciousness.

"Ok Daniel, time to go".

"Do you really hate me that much?"

Vlad was speechless for a few seconds. This question came out of nowhere. He thought for a minute, took a deep breath and answered "Let's just say that you're my favorite pain in the ass. We need to leave. Now."

Phantom flew into the thermos which Vlad locked. He transformed into Plasmius, scooped up the boy from the table and grabbed the thermos.

"Ok in there, Little Badger?" he asked, knowing that his pet name annoyed Daniel to no end.

"Oh yeah. I'm just great. Call me Danny Origami."

Vlad laughed. Who knew Daniel had such a sense of humor? In a cloud of pink mist, Plasmius disappeared with his precious cargo.

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Whew. I was hoping it would happen in this chapter, but…it looks like we're gonna have to wait 'till Danny is feeling better and is up to some company :D

Standard disclaimer applies. I own nothing. I have nothing (but imagination). Please Mr. Hartman, don't sue me. I'm only having fun.


	8. Chapter 8

Getting into FentonWorks was easier than Vlad anticipated. Maddie and the big idiot were out, and luckily, hadn't turned on the ghost shield. He set Daniel on the floor and got the Ghost Catcher and stood it beside him. He put the thermos on the floor and opened the valve.

"Now Daniel. Go" he commanded.

Phantom emerged from the thermos and shook himself out. He looked around, even though he knew Vlad wouldn't be there. He heard a moan. Daniel was on the floor shivering. He grabbed his human half and flew them both through the Ghost Catcher. Only one being emerged through the other side and he screamed as he hit the floor. White rings formed at his waist and transformed him once again into the dark-haired boy with the piercing blue eyes.

Danny couldn't move. His body felt like it had been burned and he couldn't quite remember what happened. When he looked up and saw the Ghost Catcher, he could only surmise that a separation took place and the fusion was the cause of his pain. Briefly, he wondered where his friends were. He remembered going to the movies with them and nothing after that. He closed his eyes in an effort to remember, and within moments, fell asleep.

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Vlad went intangible the moment he opened the valve on the thermos. He didn't leave, as he knew he should. As long as Daniel didn't see him, he was sure that the two would become whole again. Once Daniel was asleep, Vlad went upstairs and found the number for Jasmine Fenton's cell phone. She, Vlad knew, was smart and capable. If she thought her brother was in trouble, she would move mountains to help him. When she answered her phone, Vlad changed his voice the best he could and whispered "Danny needs you" and hung up. Within ten minutes, a car pulled into the driveway and a worried Jazz ran into her house.

"Danny? Danny are you here?"

Jazz went straight to the lab, figuring if anything were wrong, that blasted portal would be the cause. She found her brother on the floor, asleep. She put a hand to his neck and felt for a pulse, and then put a hand to his forehead. He felt slightly warm to her and didn't look well. She shook him gently and he opened his eyes half way.

"What happened?" she asked him softly.

"I don't know. I don't know why I can't remember anything. Everything hurts."

"Would you be able to stand up if I helped you?"

"No. I…"

"Ok. I'm going to call Tucker. He can help me get you upstairs to bed."

She reached in his pocket for his cell phone, found the number and called her brother's best friend who said he'd be over as quickly as he could.

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Danny spent the next few days in bed. With the help of his sister, he convinced his parents he had the flu. His father wanted to use the Fenton Extractor on him, just in case his son had a ghost flu. It took the combined efforts of Danny, his mother and sister to just let Danny get better "the old-fashioned way". Meanwhile, thanks to spring break, he had plenty of time to do just that. He received visits from Sam & Tucker regularly and slept a lot. His body was still very sore and doing the simplest things used a tremendous amount of effort. He hadn't even tried going ghost yet. When he was awake, he kept himself amused by reading or playing a video game Tucker had lent him. He watched TV and spent a lot of time trying to remember what had happened to him. Danny felt like what happened to him changed something in him. He also felt violated, somehow. Vaguely, he remembered his ghost half being angry with him for something.

"If only I could remember…" he thought.

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Vlad Masters spent the past few days alternately remembering every detail of his encounter with Daniel, and trying desperately to forget the whole thing. Knowing that he was the only person in the world that could have helped Daniel was a double-edged sword. He had the boy right where he'd always wanted him. He could have taken control of Phantom, but Daniel would have died. Vlad always thought that having Phantom at his side would bring him the happiness he desired, but once the chance was there, he couldn't go through with any of his many evil plans. He hated how he felt when he thought that Daniel might die. He wondered what Clockwork thought of his brilliant rescue and was even waiting for a visit.

Vlad wanted to look in on Daniel, but knew there was no way to do it without Daniel finding out he was there. The past two years of ghost fighting had taught the boy to fire first and ask questions later. If he even tried fighting Vlad in the shape he was in, Daniel might not survive. The energy expenditure would be too great and Vlad knew he could never convince Daniel that he had come in peace.

Vlad poured himself a healthy glass of brandy and sat in his favorite chair, brooding. Vlad did research on the Soul Splitter after the attack and was briefly thankful that the thing hadn't found _him_ first. He also found out that there were more of them, but they were in captivity. This one had spent the past century trying to fuse with human hosts. The ones that didn't die went insane from the fusion attempts. Vlad decided that he needed to work on some kind of protection from these beings. He thought of the Specter Deflector that had been used on him a few times. It was actually still in his lab, from the time Daniel's friends came to rescue him. Vlad would start to work on that belt in the morning.

He sipped his drink and thought of the conversation he'd had with Phantom. He saw fear in those green eyes that night. He also saw a level of trust that shouldn't have been there. He couldn't understand why Daniel called him, of all people (except for the fact that no one, besides his sister and friends would have even believed this). He'd wanted to comfort Phantom that night, but he really had no idea what to do. Vlad had sex in his life, but no relationships or love. Tenderness was foreign to him and he was afraid to say too much or to say the wrong thing. He also struggled with the attraction he had to the human Daniel. He remembered again the night he kissed Daniel and shivered. His body was now awake and in need of attention. He sighed, as he got up to go in search of release. Anonymous sex was not what he wanted right now, but it would have to do.


	9. Chapter 9

Warning: There be man sex here.

This was a hard chapter to write. Let me know how I did please :)

I don't own Danny or Vlad. Brian…he's sort of mine. Please Mr. Hartman, don't sue me. I'm broke.

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When you're a billionaire, the world is at your feet. People fawned over Vlad everywhere he went. It helped that he was an attractive man in his early forties.

He kept himself in excellent physical shape and studied eastern philosophy and martial arts. He started out as this gawky egghead who had the misfortune of meeting Jack Fenton., Now, here was – someone who had every thing, every experience anyone could want. The fools who shunned him after the accident ended up regretting ever crossing Vlad Masters. He possessed a remarkable intellect and enjoyed gaining knowledge for its own sake. The darkness in him caused him to look for the bad in people, to guess the hidden agenda and to always be a few steps ahead of everyone else. He had no problem with using any one of the perpetual entourage he seemed to travel in for his own amusement. The women tended to look at him as a meal ticket and the men, well they did too. Once Vlad tired of someone, he shrugged them off and never considered them again. He never had to try to impress anyone (well, not if you don't count Maddie). Tonight was no different.

Brian was a young-looking 25yr old that had the luck (?) of being in the bar while Vlad was on the prowl. Vlad noticed him almost immediately and within minutes had the poor fellow completely mesmerized. All he needed to do was tell a tale or two about the experiences in his life and Brian was his. The two walked wordlessly out of the bar towards the waiting limousine. Once inside, Vlad closed the divider, not that it mattered. His "drivers" tended to be Ecto-Americans, with no opinions whatsoever about human sexuality. As the car started moving, Vlad removed his jacket. He was dressed very uncharacteristically tonight. He was dressed to cruise. He heard a small gasp escape his companion's lips and he smiled at the idea that this young man found him so appealing. (Ego much, Vlad?).

He waited for Brian to come to him. Only when Brian moved to kiss Vlad, did he act. He alternately kissed and bit Brian's neck. The man beneath his squirmed and tried to pull Vlad into a hug. There was no question, though, who was in charge. Vlad grabbed his wrists with one hand and rubbed at the growing bulge in Brian's jeans with the other.

"Impressive" Vlad said.

"Um…I" Brian started.

"Shh." Vlad whispered as he let Brian's wrists go. "You don't need to say a word."

Brian whimpered as Vlad removed his hand from his heated member. He looked up at Vlad who was grinning wickedly as he removed Brian's shirt. With women, Vlad's weakness was curves; with men, it was a muscled chest and Vlad was not disappointed.

"Undress" he said softly.

Brian happily complied. He couldn't wait to see what this man looked like undressed. He wanted to free Vlad's hair from its pony-tail. And he was _so _ready to be fucked. Vlad, however, did things his way and in his own time. This car would drive around until his desires were quenched, however long it took. He grasped Brian's erection and slowly moved his hand up the shaft, pressing his thumb lightly at the spot just beneath the head. Brian closed his eyes and arched his back as he felt the tip of Vlad's tongue flicking over the spot where his thumb just was. Vlad watched Brian's every movement and reaction. Finally, he took Brian's length into his mouth, doing things to him that Brian never knew existed. He flattened out his tongue and licked the underside of Brian's cock, pausing here and there to suck on the head. Every time he felt Brian coming close, he stopped and moved to the man's chest, licking and biting his nipples until he started pleading for release. Vlad brought his lover to the edge a few more times before granting him his long awaited climax.

Vlad sat back and watched as Brian tried to regain his composure. The younger man couldn't believe what had just happened. A totally hot "stranger" picked him up and just sucked him dry. And here he was, breathlessly awaiting what he hoped would come next. He imagined that Vlad could be rough, but he wasn't afraid.

Vlad knew why he singled out Brian tonight. The young man was almost as tall as he was, and he had straight "messy" black hair and deep blue eyes. Vlad was trying to live out one of his more recent fantasies and after everything that had happened lately, he realized that, yes, Daniel made him hot. But he also knew that there was no way for this to ever happen.

Vlad pounced on Brian, knocking them both to the limo floor. He raked his hands over the younger man's body, making him shudder and bringing his flagging erection back to life.

"Are you ready for me?" he asked softly.

"Oh, Yeah. I want everything you got."

Vlad laughed and reached into his jacket pocket for a condom and some lube. He kneeled before Brian, who immediately went to work on pulling Vlad's pants down far enough for him to get at Vlad's sizeable manhood.

"No hands" he commanded.

As Brian stroked Vlad's shaft up and down with his lips, Vlad closed his eyes and allowed himself to imagine it was Daniel that was so anxiously waiting to be made love to. Finally, Brian took him fully in his mouth and began deep throating him. Vlad ran his hands roughly through Brian's hair. God, he needed this. He had been celibate for over a year. All of the plotting and planning, all of the experiments, and his legitimate business left him with little time for human contact. Suddenly, he pulled away from the heat of his Brian's mouth and pushed him down on the floor. He fully undressed handed the condom and lube to Brian and again kneeled in front of him and folded his arms behind his back. Vlad watched as Brian put the condom on him and covered him with lube, reveling in the control he held over the younger man. He pushed Brian back and grabbed him under his knees, pulling him closer. He coated his fingers and slowly pushed one inside of Brian, who pushed himself against the invading finger and clenched around it.

"Fuck me" Brian pleaded.

Needing no further encouragement, Vlad repositioned Brian's hips and entered his lover's ass. Brian cried out in a mixture of pleasure and pain, but Vlad didn't hear him. He began to pound into him, all the while gripping Brian's hips tightly. All Brian could do was moan and plead for more. Vlad adjusted his angle and hit the bundle of nerves that caused the man beneath him to lose all sense of reality. His eyes were closed, so he never saw the flash of Plasmius that surfaced, red eyes clouded with lust. Brian grabbed at his own erection and moved his hand in time with Vlad's thrusts. Vlad felt himself getting close and he moved faster and harder.

Brian didn't have the stamina that Vlad did and his cock exploded for the second time that night. Feeling Brian clench tight against him was enough to send Vlad over the edge and he came hard.

The two men lay on the floor of the limo, totally spent. After a while, Vlad sat up and started to dress. Brian watched him, wondering what to say. Vlad looked down at him and smiled.

"You may see me again, you may not. In any case, thank you for a…memorable evening" Vlad said.

"I hope you'll call me if you ever wanna do that again. That was amazing."

"Well, leave a number for me. We'll see. For now, I need to go. Where can I drop you?"

"I live near the bar. I'll just go back there."

"As you wish".


	10. Chapter 10

A week had passed since Jazz found Danny in the lab. He was still sore, but he couldn't stay in bed any longer. His parents hovered over him the entire time he was bed-ridden and it was worth the discomfort to let them think he was feeling better. He was glad to finally be able to have dinner with his family. They actually talked, laughed and enjoyed the time together.

It was still early when Danny's mother said he should get some rest. He tried to protest, but Maddie was adamant that he not wear himself out the first day he felt better. Danny decided not to argue and said good night to everyone and went upstairs. He sat down on his bed, wondering if he'd be able to go ghost and get out for a bit. He thought he might at least find out what his ghost half was angry about. He was a little tired and knew he shouldn't push himself, but he was so bored that he couldn't help himself. He got up, locked his door and transformed.

Danny floated over to the mirror and stared at his reflection. Even his ghost form looked emaciated. He put his hand up to the mirror and suddenly, memories came flooding back to him with such force that it hurt. He remembered the dark being he encountered. He remembered the fight and the separation from his ghost half. He remembered calling Vlad for help, and remembered that Vlad actually showed up and saved him. He also understood now that Phantom was angry because Danny always blamed everything that went wrong in his life on being part ghost, instead of taking responsibility for the questionable decisions he sometimes made while human.

Danny changed into his human form and sat back down on the bed, his mind reeling.

**_Vlad saved him_**. This was the same man that tried to kill him not so long ago. What did this mean? And what about Phantom? If he could be angry, did it make him a separate being? If so, who was the white-haired green-eyed boy who was looking back at him a few moments ago?

Danny decided to transform again. There had to be answers to his questions somewhere and he knew just the place to start. The thought of the long flight to Wisconsin worried him but he had to know why. The white rings appeared and soon Phantom was back. He gave a look around the room and left through the window.

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Vlad was feeling quite pleased with himself. He'd taken the Specter Deflector apart, programmed it with his DNA so that it would protect him instead of zapping him and draining his energy. If the captive Soul Splitters ever got free, they weren't going to take Plasmius from him. Briefly, he thought of Daniel. It amazed him that the boy just never gave up thinking he would win. He wasn't sure if it was Daniel's age or just confidence that made him the way he was. Either way, lately, he'd come to find Daniel's persistence disturbingly endearing.

Deciding he was done for the night, Vlad took his human form, locked up the lab and went to get himself a drink, and maybe some dinner. After a sandwich and a few glasses of brandy, Vlad was relaxing in his favorite chair, listening to Ravel. He had a decent buzz going on and had nodded off. He never noticed his ghost sense go off as Danny phased into the room and floated before him. When Vlad opened his eyes and saw Danny floating in front of him, he thought he was dreaming. "Go away" he said to the apparition.

"No Vlad. I won't.

Vlad quickly realized that this was no dream. He looked at the boy for a minute and finally asked "Why are you here? Have you lost your mind?" To set the proper atmosphere, Vlad quickly transformed into Plasmius and glared at Danny.

Danny didn't move. He just looked back at Vlad.

"I want to know why." he said.

"Why what, Daniel?"

"Why did you come? Why did you help me?"

"Ugh, don't remind me. I don't know WHY. You should just be grateful and leave here now."

"Why? Why do you hate me so much? Why do you have to be the way you are? Is it really that fulfilling, being evil? Does power make you that happy? Is it really worth it?"

"You are a child. You can't possibly…"

"Oh please, Vlad. You've been using that excuse for the past two years. I know you don't think much of my intelligence, but believe it or not, I've learned a thing or two along the way. I understand a great deal more than you know. For instance, you're _so _happy that you drink yourself to sleep at night, right?"

"Go home Daniel."

"I can't. I came for answers Vlad. Why won't you talk to me? Don't you think I know what a chance I'm taking, going to the home of my enemy? And in less than top form? I'm certainly no threat to you now. Can't you just talk to me?"

Vlad sighed. "What do you want from me?" he asked softly.

Danny changed into his human form and sat down. The flight had tired him more than he wanted to admit. Seeing this, Vlad transformed also.

"Do you want some tea, or something?" he asked Danny.

"I…yes please"

Danny followed Vlad upstairs to the kitchen and took a seat at the table. This was the first time he had actually had time to notice anything. Every other time he'd been in this house, the owner was trying to blast him into eternity. Despite his sister's observations two years ago, Vlad's castle (that's what it was, really) was quite tastefully decorated, even after being rebuilt. He found himself wondering about the personality behind the man and ghost that he knew. Danny had always assumed that Vlad had servants for everything. Seeing Vlad moving about the kitchen gave Danny a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was almost like one of his dreams – Vlad being domestic; taking care of him, making him feel wanted and loved. He shook his head as Vlad walked over the table, cups in hand.

Vlad felt the boy's eyes on him, burning a hole in him, the whole time he prepared the tea. He felt exhilarated, sad and angry, all at once. That Daniel was being honest was a given. He wasn't the aggressive type. It wouldn't occur to him to set up an ambush. And, even if it had, Vlad knew Daniel didn't have the strength. He (gulp) trusted him. He saw the look on Daniel's face as he was lost in thought. "I wish I knew what he was thinking", Vlad thought. "I am playing with fire" he said to himself, but he'd decided he would give the boy whatever he wanted. He just didn't have the heart to deny him anything after the ordeal he'd just been through.

"So, Daniel. You wanted to talk?"

Danny felt himself blush. He took a cup from Vlad and busied himself fixing it as he liked. He really didn't think he'd get this far. Just what was it that he wanted from the man?


	11. Chapter 11

Danny sipped at his tea, trying to disguise his nervousness as fatigue. He had no idea what to say. "Where do I start?" he wondered. Vlad sat across from his guest, watching him.

"Shall we start with the attack?"

Danny nodded and gave that little half-smile Vlad loved. "What happened to me that night?"

Vlad told Danny everything he'd learned about the Soul Splitters. He explained that the one that attacked him had been a Ghost-Zone fugitive for about a hundred years and that it wanted Daniel as its host. The thing was destroyed before it could fuse with Phantom and when Vlad found him, he was in two, the ghost trying to keep the human safe.

Vlad gave a condensed version of the events in the lab. After he was done, Danny was silent for a moment or two. He remembered bits of conversation he'd had with the older man while he was in the tank. Vlad had as much as admitted to not knowing how he felt about Danny and why he helped him. Danny remembered the compassion he'd seen briefly in Vlad's eyes. He closed his eyes and the memory of his dream washed over him again. When he opened his eyes again, Vlad was standing over him.

"What's wrong Daniel?"

"Um… nothing. Just a little tired, I guess" he lied. Too bad his body didn't back up his story. Danny's face had turned quite red and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea" he thought as his mind searched for a diversion.

Vlad understood Danny's behavior. The tension in the room was incredible and when he moved closer to Danny, he could feel the raw need exuding from every fiber of the young man's being. He understood the reason for Danny's visit. The poor kid faced more physical and philosophical landmines than anyone he'd ever known. He was tired, scared about his future, unsure of who and what he was and all he wanted was some inner peace; some comfort. His friends couldn't give Daniel what he needed because they couldn't fully understand the change that occurred in the boy during that damn accident. His parents, while certainly capable of giving Daniel love, might not be able to accept him if his secret were exposed. Who was left to help guide Daniel? Only Jazz was truly in his corner, waiting to help her brother carry the burden he lived with. But even she couldn't do for him what Vlad knew he could do. He put his hand under Danny's chin, forcing him to look up.

"Why don't we go sit inside? There's a fire going."

Danny followed Vlad into his sitting room and waited as Vlad poured a brandy for himself.

"Sit down. No one's going to hurt you." Vlad said softly.

When Vlad turned around, he saw Danny sitting with his head in his hands. He saw Danny trembling slightly and realized the boy was crying. He set the glass down on the coffee table, sat down and put his arm around Danny, pulling him slightly closer.

They stayed like that for a while. Danny let out all of the fear, the frustration and loneliness he carried in his heart and Vlad absorbed it all without words. After some time, Danny sat up straight and tried to regain his composure. He looked at Vlad, wanting to say so much, but unable to say anything. How could he tell his enemy that he needed him? How could he want to feel Vlad's arms around him, soothing him? The man would indeed think he'd lost his mind and probably take great delight in informing his parents that their son was a freak.

"Daniel, much has happened to you in a short span of time. You've chosen a difficult path and are traveling it with conviction. Sometimes you wish you could walk away from being who you are. If you were given the choice though, I think you would choose to live the life you're living now. Lately you've been faced with new ideas, new challenges and I imagine, new emotions. I don't doubt that you get tired and discouraged. What you need to do now is find what you need to make you happy. I'm not telling you to abandon your quest to right the wrongs in life or the after-life. I'm telling you that you need balance. You're always pointing out that you are nothing like me. Well, dear boy, heed my words so you don't end up this way. You know what you want and need. Doing something good for yourself once in a while doesn't make you evil, you know."

Vlad gave Danny a genuine smile, hoping to lift his spirits. Danny listened to Vlad, happily surprised that the man wasn't telling him that the world was a horrible place and stop being such a baby. Vlad's words were encouraging. "If only I could tell you how you make me feel", he mused.

"Now, you've been here a while. Maybe it's time we get you home."

"Wait…I…"

"Relax. I will continue this with you. But right now, you need sleep and if you stay here, what are you going to tell your family? I'll get you home tonight and I'll come to you tomorrow."

"Promise?"

Vlad smiled again, loving Danny's trusting nature. "Of course I promise. How else can I be near you?" he thought.

"Yes, I promise. It's not like you'll leave me alone if I didn't. Let's get you home."

Vlad transformed himself into Plasmius and grabbed Danny around the waist. Being held tightly by the enemy he'd come to love made Danny weak. He was limp in the arms of Plasmius, who had dreamed of this moment. Yet all he was going to do is take the young man home and at most, ruffle his hair. With a swirl of his cape, Vlad disappeared into the night with Danny.

Once in Danny's bedroom, Vlad released his passenger. Vlad looked around the room, realizing that he'd never taken notice of the things that made up Danny's life. The computer was still on and music was playing softly. The room was neat and his bookcase held more than the model rockets Danny had been building since he was a child. Vlad smiled inwardly when he saw the "For Dummies" series of books on physics, psychology and philosophy. He was impressed that Daniel still wanted to study aeronautical engineering and still hoped to enter the Space Program.

"Thanks for the ride" Danny whispered.

Vlad laughed. "I will see you tomorrow Daniel. Get some rest."

Without thinking, Danny ran to Vlad and hugged him tightly. When they separated, Vlad smirked at the one that held his heart captive. His eyes traveled up and down Danny's body longingly.

"Good Night, Little Badger" he said, and was gone.

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Danny had just finished getting changed when there was a soft knock on his bedroom door. He opened it to an upset sister.

"Where did you go?"

"How did you know? I locked this door."

Jazz smugly held up a key which Danny tried unsuccessfully to snatch from her.

"Where were you? Are you crazy? What if Mom and Dad…"

Danny cut her off by putting a hand over her mouth and bringing her into the room.

"Calm down Jazz. I'm ok. I've just been so bored. I needed to get out.

"What if something had happened? You're still not well. No more flying until I'm sure you're better. I mean it Danny. Don't make me…"

"That's blackmail Jazz. Would you really break your promise and tell them the thing that would cause them to hate me?"

"They wouldn't hate you Danny. I'm surprised you can't see that. And, no, I wouldn't break my promise. I can't stand always being worried about you though. And don't you dare tell me not to worry."

"I promise you I won't overdo. But my brain is going to turn into mush if I don't start trying to get back to normal."

"Speaking of normal, where have Sam & Tucker been lately?"

"Sam's stuck at her Aunt's house and Tucker went to some technology expo with his cousin. I get the feeling that the novelty of my being half-ghost has worn off and they just don't know how to break away from me."

"Danny that's not true. They're your friends. They care about you. They wouldn't desert you."

Danny sighed. Of course Sam and Tucker _cared_ about him. Things just weren't the same between the three of them lately. Danny had been going to great lengths to keep his ghost-fighting to himself and he missed having his friends at his side. They didn't seem to miss the activity that took up so much of Danny's time.

"Ok Jazz. Look, I'm really tired. Is it alright if we continue this later?"

"Whatever."

"Great" he said once his sister was gone. "I really didn't need to start thinking about this now."

Danny got in bed, pulled the covers up and tried to sleep. He tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable. After about a half-hour, he sat up. He couldn't shut his mind off. And when his thoughts turned to his conversation with Vlad, Danny realized sleep was hopeless. He went down to the kitchen, to nose around in the refrigerator. He turned on the light and found his father doing the same thing.

"Hi Dad."

"Danny! Are you ok Son?"

"Yeah," Danny laughed. "Just hungry."

"Well," Jack said as he rummaged around inside the fridge, "Aha! Your mother left some pie in here! Sit down - we'll have some late dessert."

Danny smiled. Sometimes, when your heart aches and your mind burns with a thousand questions that can't be answered, all you can do is sit and eat pie with your father in companionable silence. Tonight, that was enough.


	12. Chapter 12

Danny woke up already feeling anxious. Would Vlad keep his promise? What would they talk about? Would he do or say something that would betray his feelings for the man that was supposed to be his enemy?

"Argh! Too many questions. I haven't even had breakfast yet." He said as he walked downstairs to find his parents sitting in the kitchen with none other than Vlad Masters.

He felt himself turning red. He could feel how wide his eyes had gotten. The trio was engrossed in conversation and had not noticed Danny standing there in his pajamas.

"…well, yes Jack. That's what I'm saying. The boy has been ill, cooped up here for days on end. A day or two of fresh air and sunshine at my mansion would do him wonders. I'll have him back by Monday night." Vlad turned his head ever so slightly and winked at Danny, who made a small, strange sound.

"Danny! Good News! V-Man is taking you to Wisconsin for a few days. You'll have a change of scenery; get to hang out by the pool. And hey, If you see the Dairy King Ghost…"

"Now sweetie, Danny isn't going there to hunt the Dairy King Ghost" Maddie interrupted.

Jack pouted and Maddie gave him a muffin to cheer him up.

"W...Wisconsin?" Danny stammered.

"Why yes, Daniel" Vlad answered mischievously. "If you're going to goof off someplace, why not a mansion, I always say".

Danny looked at his parents. "You're both ok with this?"

"Sure Son. You couldn't be in better hands" Jack replied as Maddie nodded in agreement.

Danny stood there for a minute in disbelief. He hadn't expected Vlad to do something so bold. He looked at the man, who said nothing, but grinned wickedly. A shiver ran up his spine. He was sure that his parents had to have noticed him blushing. Not wanting then to think there was something wrong, he said "I'll, um, go get some stuff together" and ran upstairs.

Vlad loved how he was able to catch Daniel off guard. The poor kid looked like his head was going to explode. He thought of the couple sitting across from him. They actually trusted him with their son. They wanted to be friends with him. Couldn't they see what he was? Deciding he'd heard enough from his conscience for one day, Vlad stood up and brought his tea cup to the sink. He couldn't keep thinking like this. And yet, upstairs in his room, was the one that had consumed his thoughts for months. He would, at last, have the real thing, all to himself, with no one to question or judge them. From here on, there would be no more substitutes.

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Danny had to admire Vlad's quick thinking. As he thought about it, he realized that trying to get out tonight would be difficult if Jazz had anything to say about it. The way Vlad looked at him made his body tense. He swore it was lust he saw in the man's gaze.

Could he be imagining this? Vlad couldn't possibly…not after the thing with his mother. But somewhere inside, Danny hoped that he was right. Could he be that lucky? Could he get to live that dream?

He knew he should call his friends, but truthfully, he didn't want to. They had been scarce lately and Danny's feelings were hurt. If they even cared, they would try to talk him out of going. He wondered if Sam And Tucker were keeping something from him. He couldn't think of any other explanation as to why they would suddenly stop calling and visiting. A few months ago, Danny would have been destroyed at the thought of Sam dating his other best friend. He'd liked her as more than a friend from the moment they met. Somehow, it wasn't as painful now. He just wished they would tell him already. It hurt a little, thinking this, but she never showed him or told him anything to make him think she wanted anything more from him and he wished he knew why.

"What am I doing? I need to pack. He's waiting downstairs and…"

"Aren't you ready yet?" a voice from nowhere asked.

"Jeez, Vlad. Don't do that around my parents."

"Relax Daniel," Vlad said as he became visible. "I told them I was coming up to check on you. What kept you?"

"I dunno. I started thinking about Sam And Tucker. I got sidetracked. Sorry"

"Well, we will talk about them too, this evening. I suggest you get moving, if you don't want your sister to get home before we leave."

"Ooh, Jazz. You're right. Give me a minute and I'll be down."

"Less thinking and more packing, Daniel" Vlad commanded, as he walked out the door.

Danny shoved a change of clothes, his mp3 player and a Fenton Thermos into his backpack, brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and ran downstairs and right into his mother.

"Now Danny, don't overdo. Get rest and mind what Vlad tells you. You call me if you need anything"

"I will, Mom."

"Have a good time Son."

"Thanks Dad."

He hugged his parents, asked them to say goodbye to Jazz for him, and left with Vlad, who assured Jack and Maddie that he would take good care of their son.

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After several minutes of uncomfortable silence between the two, Vlad looked at Danny and said "I want to talk about your parents."

Danny was crushed. Vlad was going to start talking about his mother and how they should have been together, etc.

"What about them?" he asked sadly.

"Why do they still think of me as their friend?"

At this, Danny sat up straight and looked at the older man. "They like you."

"Yes Daniel, I know that. What I don't know is why. Don't they see who I am? I'm not talking about Plasmius, but just me. They let you go with me without a second thought. Even after…well, you know…they let you go. I wouldn't have."

"Maybe they see something in you that you don't. Maybe they know that underneath it all is a decent guy. They think you saved my life. They don't know the half of it."

Vlad looked at the young man beside him, surprised at the depth of his answer. Could this be true? It had to be, on some level, or Daniel wouldn't be here. As much of an idiot as Jack Fenton was, when it came to his family, he would do anything to keep them safe. Vlad had seen him in action more than once. and one of those times, he pushed Vlad out of the path of the Fright Knight. Jack would fight for him too, Vlad realized. No wonder Daniel turned out the way he did.

"What are you thinking, Vlad?"

"Hmm. That I transport us home instead of driving there. What do you say?"

Danny smiled. "Sounds good to me."

"Yes Daniel, it would sound good. I hope you won't turn from me when I tell you my truth" Vlad thought.

"Of course I want to get there now." Danny thought. "I need to know what you're thinking and feeling". Danny realized that there would be many revelations today and he was glad that he wouldn't be the only one telling a truth.

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One of the many perks of being a billionaire is that you can have servants fix your home as you like it, have a meal prepared and laid out on the table and have the home totally empty by the time you arrive, if that is your wish. Once inside, Danny was greeted by the smell of food and he absentmindedly walked to the dining room. Vlad laughed, and followed.

"Don't they feed you at home?" Vlad teased.

"Sure they do. I'm just always hungry" Danny answered, aware of the double entendre that made his host cough.

"Well, then, by all means, lunch is served"

Danny tried his best to mind his table manners. Vlad, being the refined evil villain that he was, would most certainly take notice. Vlad, on the other hand, wasn't noticing much else besides Danny. They ate in comfortable silence and without thinking, Danny started clearing the table. Vlad, surprised by this, said nothing and moved to help. Once everything was cleared away, Vlad asked "How are you feeling? Do you need to rest?"

"No, I'm ok. Now what?"

"You do like to get right to the point, don't you? Very well. Shall we continue our conversation from yesterday?"

"um, ok"

Danny followed Vlad outside into the courtyard, where a snifter of brandy and a pitcher of lemonade sat on an antique wrought iron table.

"Isn't it early in the day for alcohol Vlad?"

"As a matter of fact, no it isn't. If you don't mind…"

"Hey, no problem. Are you ok? You seem pretty tense. You know I'm not up to a fight. What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong" Vlad answered as he sat down. "As for fights, there are no fights during a truce."

"Are you mad at me?"

"No. I must admit I'm at a loss right now, but not for long. Now, Back to last night. Have you given thought to what I've said?"

"I don't know how to find balance. I thought I knew what I wanted, but it didn't work out. It hurt, but…"

"The lovely Miss Manson, I presume. Am I to gather she is dating your other friend?"

"I think so. Neither of them have called or stopped by in a couple of days. That isn't like them."

"It doesn't bother you as you think it should, does it? And that bothers you. Daniel, feelings can and do change. Perhaps she wasn't right for you. Perhaps she is, but just not now. Maybe there's something else you need in your life right now."

Vlad moved close enough to Danny to whisper in his ear. "Love comes in the most unexpected of packages, dear boy. Keep an open mind and heart."

"Whoa. Was he just hitting on me?" Danny thought. He had to know for sure, so he leaned in and said kissed Vlad, tasting the brandy on his lips. They broke away from the kiss, each of them wearing the same expression of desire. They stood up and locked in an embrace that seemed to last an eternity. Neither of them had to admit anything. They both just knew.


	13. Chapter 13

OK. More slash here. Read at your own risk :D

My heartfelt thanks to all who have reviewed. Your enthusiasm fuels this fire.

How "descriptive should I get with the next chapter. Should I keep it light, or get down & dirty?

Mr. Hartman, please don't sue me.

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Vlad took Danny's hand and led him back inside and into his den. He took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking. Daniel kissed him. "Well, he was never one to play his cards close to the vest" Vlad thought. The boy wanted him. It was wrong, but felt so right. It was Daniel's decision. It had to be.

"Tell me Daniel, do you make it a habit of kissing your enemies?" Vlad quipped.

"No Vlad, I don't. Only the ones that come on to me" Danny fired back.

"Is that what you thought I was doing?"

Danny hadn't thought about the possibility that Vlad was just trying to be encouraging. Suddenly, his chest hurt and he wanted to leave. He looked around the room that was beginning to spin. He was mortified. What had he done? His face went pale and Vlad caught him just before he hit the floor.

"Daniel!" he cried as he tried to rouse the unconscious halfa.

"I had to tease him," Vlad muttered as he picked the boy up and brought him to his room.

He put Danny on the bed, took off his sneakers and got a cold washcloth for his forehead.

He felt awful. Daniel was here for rest, comfort and some answers and he couldn't resist poking fun at him. Vlad stayed at the bedside for an hour before Danny woke up.

"What? Where am I? Oh…."

"Daniel, listen to me please. I'm…sorry I upset you. I didn't mean to. You surprised me and I didn't know what to say. I never expected us to be where we are now. Yes. I want you. You weren't imagining it. But I have no right to want you. Society forbids it. Law forbids it. And yet I don't care. I have to know what you want, Daniel. I will not make assumptions."

Danny listened in shock as his arch-rival admitted desiring him. Butterflies danced in his stomach at the thought that Vlad's arms would soon be around him. He would get to live a dream.

"Are there any other beings like us? Would society even understand our existence?

I decided to come here. What does that tell you? I…I want you too. Society be damned. After everything I've been through already, I think I've earned the right to decide what I want." he answered.

Vlad smiled at him and held his arms open. Danny flew into those arms he'd so longed for and started moving his body against Vlad's, causing the other man to let out a low moan.

"That's my Daniel. Right to the point." Vlad said as he ran his hands up and down Danny's body, admiring the muscles that had started to form.

Danny looked up into Vlad's ice-blue eyes and said "Kiss me".

Vlad picked Danny up, went intangible and brought him to his own bedroom. Even as Plasmius, Vlad's arms were thick and strong. As he put Danny on his bed, Vlad started to change back into human form.

"Wait." Danny said as he motioned for Plasmius to come closer. Vlad was beyond all logic at this point. All he could think about was how much he wanted to taste Daniel's skin. He floated closer to Danny who then pulled him into a kiss. Plasmius let him have control for a few seconds before transforming and pinning Danny to the bed.

"Sorry Little Badger. I've been playing this game longer than you've been alive. Let me show you how good it can be" Vlad said in a voice that betrayed his desire. Danny writhed beneath him as Vlad licked at his lips, waiting for permission. Danny opened his mouth and Vlad sucked on his tongue as he ground his pelvis into Danny, causing them both to moan.

"Who gets to make love to you Daniel? Masters or Plasmius?"

"Whoever you want to be" Danny panted.

Vlad laughed softly as he whispered in Danny's ear.

"Tonight, I _will_ make you mine. Are you ready for that?"

Danny only whimpered and pulled Vlad closer, only to have him pull back.

Danny looked up at him, confused.

"Daniel, this really works better without clothes." Vlad explained.

Danny stood there for a moment, trying to decide if it was better to undress normally or phase out of his clothes. He looked at Vlad, who grinned and asked "Do you need some help?"

"No, I…"

"I understand. Come here Daniel."

Danny did as he was asked. He suddenly felt shy and awkward.

"Do you want this? Here with me?" Vlad asked as he put his arms around Danny. "If you want to stop, now is the time to say so. I will not be angry with you, but you need to tell me."

"I want to. I want you. I've never…"

"I know. It's alright. But you're sure?"

Danny nodded eagerly.

"Transform" Vlad said.

Again, Danny did as he was asked. He was a little hurt that Vlad wanted him in his ghost form.

"Now lose the jumpsuit and change back."

"What?"

"You'll just have to trust me on this one."

Danny peeled off the spandex suit under the admiring eyes of his soon-to-be lover. He'd never thought of himself as particularly attractive and felt himself blush as Vlad stared at him. He changed into his still-dressed human form and waited.

Vlad walked over to him and pulled him down onto the bed with him, covering his neck with kisses.

"You are not afraid?" He asked softly

"No. I'm not." Danny answered.

"Then this will be all you ever dreamed of and more. Just trust me" Vlad growled seductively.

Rough hands traced their way down to Danny's waist and his shirt was pulled off.

Vlad stood up and all but ripped off his own clothes, never taking his eyes off Danny, who finished getting undressed. He grinned, and for a second, the vampiric teeth of Plasmius showed. He practically flew into Danny, knocking him backwards onto the bed.

Danny grabbed at the band that held Vlad's hair in a ponytail and Vlad shook his hair free. Soon, he was kissing Danny again, while holding their bodies tightly together. One hand reached between them and grabbed Danny's erection firmly, causing the boy to cry out. Vlad started moving his hand up and down the shaft while Danny moaned with pleasure. "Oh, but I have so much to teach him." Vlad thought wickedly as he broke their embrace and straddled Danny's legs. Danny looked at him, his eyes clouded with lust.

"Watch me Daniel" Vlad said as he took Danny into his mouth.

Danny couldn't believe what he was feeling, let alone seeing. Unconsciously, he started moving his hips in time with Vlad's rhythm, moaning and writhing all the while. Vlad couldn't decide whether to move slowly, and let this last as long as possible, or bring him off quickly so he could show him what other pleasures were in store for him. Ultimately, he didn't get to decide, because Danny was now crying out his name over and over, begging him for release. Vlad quickened his pace and felt Danny's muscles tighten. Danny tried to push Vlad off of him, because he knew he was close, but Vlad held Danny's hips tightly and moved even faster. Danny's back arched off of the bed as he came, his lover's name on his lips.

Vlad leaned over Danny, sweat glistening on his forehead. He leaned forward and whispered in Danny's ear "Round Two" and laughed.

Vlad held Danny in his arms for a while, giving him time to recover. He could feel his heartbeat and smiled inwardly. Daniel was a decent soul, burdened with powers he never asked for, and all he wanted was to feel wanted and understood. It warmed Vlad's heart to know that, in the end, Daniel looked to him for this. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Vlad heard the word "Redemption" and understood.

"Your turn?" Danny asked with a grin, breaking Vlad out of his reverie.

Vlad laughed. "Ah, to be sixteen again. Don't you worry. I never give anything without getting something in return."


	14. Chapter 14

Danny snuggled up closer to Vlad and asked "So, what _do_ you want in return?" as he let his hands play over his body. Seeing Vlad like this gave Danny a small surge of pride that he was even able to hold his own in a fight. The man's body was muscular, without being overly so. What's more, he had martial arts training and over twenty years experience with ghost powers.

"So you are ready for more." Vlad said.

Danny didn't answer but moved towards Vlad's lower half.

"Oh no, my boy. There's plenty of time for that later. Right now, I have something else in mind." Vlad said as he reached into his nightstand while distracting Danny with a kiss.

Daniel's size concerned Vlad. While he had gotten taller and a little stronger looking, he was still on the small side and Vlad knew he would have to exercise more patience than he was used to while preparing Daniel's body to accept him. He broke the kiss and gave Danny one last chance to turn back.

"Are you ready for me Daniel?" he asked in a husky voice. "Are you still unafraid?"

"Yes." Danny whispered.

With that, Vlad positioned Danny beneath him and kissed him hard, his tongue exploring Danny's mouth fiercely. This drove the boy wild and he started trying to move against him. Vlad spread Danny's legs apart and knelt in-between them. He never held more power than he did in that moment. The body of his sworn enemy was being offered to him. He could break Daniel here and now. Mold him into the ghost _he_ wanted Daniel to be. All of his plans could be realized here and now yet all Vlad could think of was how he came to love the young man and that in surrendering his plans, he gained what he'd always wanted.

Danny lifted his legs and rested his bottom against Vlad's thighs, giving the older man easier access. He wanted more. He wanted to give more. He wanted to feel Vlad inside of him, even though it scared him a little, Vlad was big, and he was…not. His inexperience embarrassed him, but Vlad found it sweet and sexy. He poured the cold fluid onto his fingers and traced a finger around his opening, watching Daniel's face as he did. The mixture of need and desire was almost enough to drive Vlad to be rough, but he knew that this experience would stay with Daniel forever and he wanted to make sure that it would be a pleasurable memory for him. He slowly pushed a finger inside as Danny took a sharp breath.

"Relax Daniel. It's only uncomfortable for a moment or two."

Vlad's voice caressed Danny's heart and he relaxed, as Vlad moved his finger in and out of Danny. He felt the coldness of more lube and tensed a bit as another finger invaded him. This time, Vlad moved further inside, searching for Danny's prostate. He knew that if he hit it a few times, Danny would not only relax, but beg to be fucked. When he saw Daniel close his eyes and arch his back, he knew he was successful. The boy was panting heavily and pushing himself down on Vlad's hand, wanting the sensation again. Vlad smirked and gave him what he wanted; enjoying watching Daniel spread open before him, waiting to be taken. A third finger entered him, but he was beyond caring. Danny opened his eyes that had been shut tight and looked at Vlad.

"I need you inside me. Now. Please." He begged.

"Patience Daniel." Vlad answered as he continued his exploration. He grabbed Danny's cock with his other hand and quickly brought it to life, stroking it lovingly. Danny felt like he was stretched to capacity when, suddenly, Vlad pulled his fingers out of Danny slowly. The empty feeling was more than he could bear and he reached out for Vlad.

"I know, Little Badger. But here is a lesson you need to learn. Always be safe." he said as he put a condom on and covered himself with more lube.

Vlad grabbed Danny's hips and entered him, relishing the heat and tightness. He moved slow, letting Danny get used to the feeling. Soon, the boy moved against him, letting Vlad know that he could go further.

Vlad pushed himself into Danny as far as he could and held him still for a moment, before pulling back and entering him again. He reached for Danny's erection once more, and moved his hand in time to his thrusts. Danny clenched around Vlad, crying out his name. Vlad changed position slightly, again aiming for the small bundle of nerves that would drive Daniel wild.

Danny's body was on fire. Everything felt so good, so right. Each thrust brought a mixture of pleasure and pain. When Vlad moved slightly and thrust into him, he couldn't think straight. There was _that_ feeling again. He had to have more, and more.

"Please…" was all he could say. Vlad knew that Daniel wanted it harder, and he increased his pace. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Vlad knew he was holding Daniel too tightly and that he would be bruised in the morning. He didn't care, though. He had marked Daniel as his own tonight and forever after. He watched Daniel morph into Phantom, unable to control his body. The feeling of being inside Daniel when he changed forms was indescribable. His green eyes were burning into Vlad, urging him further. Danny's stomach began to tighten and again, he changed form. Soon, Vlad's hand was covered in sticky wetness and he pounded into Danny even harder. Hearing his name over and over, Vlad came, shouting "Mine!" as he did.

The pair stayed like that for a few minutes. Two enemies were now two lovers. Neither one gave a thought to the past or the future. Now was all that mattered.

Vlad heard Danny's stomach rumble and he snickered.

"Hungry again?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Danny laughed. "Somehow I've built up an appetite"


	15. Chapter 15

Vlad ordered take-out for dinner, and then went into the kitchen to make some green tea. Danny watched him as he moved about the kitchen. He felt relaxed for the first time since the accident. He didn't have to be on guard against anything or anyone. He didn't have to make excuses to anyone for strange behavior. The best part was that he felt desired. He wondered if that would ever happen for him. Watching the in-crowd at school still made him jealous on occasion. Everyone wanted Dash. Everyone thought Danny was a loser. Well, maybe not everyone, but he could count on one hand those who didn't. Now, maybe there was one more person he could add to that list. Danny tried hard not to think too far ahead. He didn't want to spoil his brief sabbatical from his daily life. He wanted to spend the next couple of days in Vlad's arms and in his bed.

The domestic scene before Vlad was a completely new experience. To think that Daniel was here, in his home, looking up to him as a friend and advisor, wanting him as a lover, made Vlad feel things he'd long since decided he had no room for in his life. He could feel Daniel watching him, trying to think of something appropriate to say. He laughed softly and turned to face Danny.

"What are you thinking Daniel?"

"I, um, wanted to thank you for helping me and for having me here. It's nice to be able to take a break, you know?"

"I'm sure it is. Why do you do it? Why put yourself through the surprise attacks, the sleepless nights, the mediocre grades?"

"Please tell me this is not a recruitment speech."

"No, no speech. I just want to know why."

"I don't know. I've helped people that tried to kill me. I wonder sometimes why I do it, but deep down, I believe that if you have the power to stop bad things from happening, then you should. I guess I'm trying to live according to my beliefs."

The doorbell saved Vlad from having to answer the same question. Why? Why did he walk a road of darkness for over twenty years? Why had he pushed everyone that ever cared about him away? Why was this time so different? Why did he save Daniel?

He shook his head to clear the infernal questions from his mind as he walked to the door.

He paid the delivery person and made his way back to the kitchen, where Danny had set up plates and poured tea. Vlad bit down on his lips to keep from smiling. He could get used to this.

Danny raised an eyebrow as Vlad set the bag on the table and started pulling out cartons.

"What did you get, anyway?"

"Japanese. I ordered a variety of things. You don't have to eat the sushi if you don't want to."

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After dinner, the pair settled down on the sofa in Vlad's den, his favorite room in the house. It was there he kept and displayed pieces of himself as a person instead of a villain. Danny leaned into him and sighed. This was the best he'd felt in weeks. His stomach was full, his libido satisfied for the time being and he felt safe and wanted.

Vlad sat there struggling, even as he held the one he loved in his arms. He knew the questions would come. What did this mean? Where would they go from here? Can you change? He hated thinking about the consequences. He just wanted to lose himself in Daniel's needs and wants. It was all he ever wanted, love. And it came to him in the strangest of ways.

"Daniel, are you still awake?"

"Yeah."

"It's been a rough day. Why don't you go to bed early? If you don't look rested and relaxed when I bring you home, I won't be able to explain it."

"Well…ok. I am a little tired."

"I don't wonder" Vlad said with a smirk.

"Yeah, I know. You've had over twenty years experience with "that" too." Danny smiled back. Then, after a moments thought, he asked "Did I do something wrong?"

"Certainly not. I can't help teasing you, it seems."

As they were walking upstairs, Danny's cell phone rang. Looking at the number, he cringed.

"Who is it?"

"Jazz. Oh, man, I do not want to do this" he said as he answered.

Danny barely managed a hello to his sister before she started screaming at him. He pulled the phone away from his ear. Vlad was able to make out each word the angry girl said.

"Are you crazy? Mom and Dad said you did this willingly. How could you? He is your enemy. You're not better yet. You have no strength yet. Why did you do this?"

Vlad pulled the phone from Danny's hand and once Jazz stopped to take a breath he jumped in.

"Hello Jasmine. Yes Daniel is here. He is fine and he came here on his own. He is safe with me until I bring him home."

"Listen to me you fruit-loop. If you harm one hair on his head, so help me…"

Danny took the phone back. "Jazz, I'm ok here. Vlad was the one that called you from the lab that day. I promise I'm ok. Look, I'm tired and ready for bed. I'll see you Monday".

Before she could answer him, he hung up.

"Um, sorry about that. She…"

"It's alright Daniel." Vlad interrupted as they continued walking to the room Vlad had set up for him.

"If you need anything, I'll be down the hall. Goodnight Daniel." He said as he walked away.

"Uh, ok. Goodnight"

Danny went inside the room and closed the door and changed into his pajamas. He got into bed and stared at the door for a few moments, hoping that Vlad would come back. He suddenly didn't feel like being alone. When Vlad did not return, he sighed, pulled the covers over him and tried to sleep. After tossing and turning for what seemed like an eternity, Danny gave up trying to sleep and walked down the hall to Vlad's room.

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Vlad had just gotten out of the shower. He needed to calm himself down after the call from Jasmine. His mood turned sour, thinking that the rest of the weekend was ruined.

In the end, Daniel always listened to his sister. He was sure that, by now, Daniel wanted to go home.

He put on his blue kimono and towel-dried his hair. He realized that the shower was not enough to still him and he decided to have a glass of brandy. As he got to the door, he saw Danny standing there, just looking at him. Vlad fought the urge to say something mean to him as the anger flashed in his eyes.

"Yes?"

Danny felt stupid. Of course the man had gotten what he wanted, so he no longer needed to be nice. "How could I be so stupid?" he thought. His face fell and Vlad noticed. Danny couldn't think of anything to say. He turned around and said "Never mind," and walked back to his room. He shut and locked the door, crawled back under the covers. He could hear Jazz now, saying "I told you so."

He got back up and walked to the window. He made no effort to stop the tears that started to fall. He transformed himself quietly and prepared to leave Wisconsin. He phased through the window, looking back as he did. He was surprised that when he turned around, there was Plasmius.

"Going somewhere?"

"Look Vlad, thanks for everything you've done. But I saw the look in your eyes. You hate me. I don't know why any of this even happened. I'll tell my parents that I wanted to come home, so you brought me back early. No one will know anything."

Plasmius looked at him for a moment, trying to figure out what made Daniel think he hated him. As he thought back, he realized he'd turned cold towards Daniel after his sister called, so sure was he that everything was ruined. He had one last chance to make everything right. He found that he didn't want to give up. Daniel was someone worth fighting for.

"Before you go, please come inside. I'd like to talk to you."

"You don't have to say anything. It's…"

"I do have to say something. In fact, I have plenty to say and so do you. Please come inside."

Danny followed Plasmius inside where they both recovered their human forms and went downstairs. Once in the den, Vlad poured himself that drink he'd wanted as Danny looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He sat on the sofa and waited for the older man to speak.

"Your sister doesn't trust me" Vlad began.

"And that's news to you?"

"Well, no, not really. Tell me Daniel, do you really want to go home? Do you want to forget everything that happened here?"

"You've told me often enough that what I want doesn't matter."

Vlad sighed. The boy certainly wasn't going to make this easy on him. "Well, now I'm telling you it _does_ matter. And I want to know. What do you want?"

Suddenly, Danny was angry. "I don't know" he shouted. "I came here because I wanted to believe that you could help me. Or because I hoped you could care about me. I just wanted to be comfortable in my own skin for a while and not feel like such a freak. You've been keeping me awake at night for months. Sometimes it hurts so bad I can hardly breathe. I did this. I took a chance. And for what? You still hate me. I put everything on the line, tried to show you what I felt and you still hate me."

Danny ran at Vlad, intending to fight him. He started pounding on the man's chest in between gasps and sobs. Vlad stood there, letting the boy get everything out. He made no move to fight back, or to defend himself. When Danny's energy finally gave out, Vlad put his arms around him and held him tight. Danny felt light-headed and Vlad helped him back to the sofa. Finally, he spoke.

"I'm sorry you saw anger in my eyes. I do not hate you. Daniel, I was upset about that call. Everything your sister said was true. I couldn't debate any of it. I was angry with her and with myself. I did not bring you here to hurt you, or to trick you. I wanted something I couldn't name. Something you gave to me without hesitation, once you started to trust me. She wanted to take you away from me, despite my good intentions in having you here. I was afraid you would listen to her and leave and it made me angry. Rather than say anything, I thought saying good night would be the best thing. If you were still here in the morning, I would have tried having this conversation then. When you came to my room, I was still pretty upset. When I thought about it and realized how upset you were, I tried coming after you. The locked door told me you had left. By the way, a locked door will not keep me from what I want. You should know that by now" he said with a smirk.

Vlad knelt down so that he was eye level with Danny and he put a hand on his shoulder.

The boy looked exhausted and defeated. Vlad smiled at him.

"You may find it hard to believe, but I'm sorry. I…old habits die hard. You can't imagine what it's like to fight with yourself the way I have for the past several weeks. I really intended for you to come here and relax. I never meant…"

Vlad couldn't continue. Danny was silent and Vlad felt like nothing he'd said mattered. He stood up and turned from Danny.

"If you want to go, I'll get you home in the morning" he said dejectedly as he walked to the door.

"Wait."

Vlad paused, finished his drink and poured another. Something had to stop the pain. He sat down, not daring to look at Danny. He felt lost. He'd taken the high road and still, it exploded in his face. Love was just not something he was meant to have.

"I don't want to go. But now it's your turn. Do you want me to stay?"

Vlad laughed softly. "What the hell," he thought. "What have I got left to lose?"

"I want you to stay."

With that, Danny moved along side of him and laid his head on Vlad's chest. He fingered the sash of Vlad's kimono and then looked up at him. He grimaced when he saw the bruises on the man's face and chest.

"Don't worry about it Daniel. I can take a punch, or several."

He reached for Danny and drew him into a kiss. He held Danny's lower lip between his as he pulled the boy on top of him. Danny ran his fingers through Vlad's hair and kissed the man's fingers as they touched his mouth. Vlad could take no more. He pulled the both of them upright, summoned Plasmius and transported them back upstairs, then became human once again. This time, he didn't need to ask if Danny wanted him. He stood there, hair messy, eyes shining, lips swollen from their kisses. Vlad guided him to the bed, staying behind him as he did. Danny kneeled of the bed as Vlad undressed him.

"Trust me Daniel" he whispered.

Vlad stood behind Danny, and snaked an arm around him. He alternately kissed and bit his neck. Danny could feel Vlad's breath in his ear, even as the blue mist escaped his mouth over and over. The need to fight was no longer there. All Danny wanted was for Vlad to take him. He felt no shame in submission, because this time, he was giving in to love. It seemed to him that Vlad's hands were everywhere at once, holding him, preparing him. He felt the familiar coldness of the lube against his opening and shivered. His moans only encouraged Vlad to do more. Soon, he pushed inside of Danny as he kneeled on the bed. He could feel the silk of Vlad's robe against his skin as they coupled.

"Open your eyes Daniel" Vlad purred. As Danny did, he caught sight of the reflection of two people, who were more than they seemed, on their way to ecstasy. He could see how red his cheeks were. He could see the love in Vlad's eyes, though they were clouded with the lust they both shared. Vlad reached around to grab Danny's nascent erection, causing the boy to cry out. Vlad bent him a little further and was able to make Danny see stars. Soon, he was pushing his hips back into Vlad, making him go faster. The older man cried out his release and turned Danny around; taking his cock into his mouth. Danny fell backwards, grabbing the sheets. He wanted so much. Vlad continued sucking on Danny while putting a finger back inside him. There was no ghostly transformation for Danny this time, as he got close. The night's angst robbed him of that energy, but it didn't matter. Soon, Danny was screaming Vlad's name as he exploded in his lover's mouth.

Finally, Vlad lay along side of him, still breathing heavy. This time, it was Danny that held Vlad as he thought "Mine".


	16. Chapter 16

Whew. This little story is winding down. Next chapter might be the end. My heartfelt thanks to everyone that reviewed. My hope was to tell a coherent story that followed cannon, yet explored the recesses of two characters and give all of the slash fans something to squeal over :D

I still own nothing, so please, Mr. Hartman, don't sue me. I'm just having fun.

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Sam Manson felt guilty. Her best friend was injured and stuck at home while she and Tucker were busy making an attempt at a relationship. After a few days, the two decided that it wouldn't work. Somehow, dating Tucker seemed safer to her than being honest with Danny and she suspected Tucker knew this. In the end, they both decided that _they_ would be better off as friends. After the brief relationship was over, she kept to herself, trying to get her head together. She knew Danny would be hurt if he found out. He would feel betrayed. Sam couldn't avoid Danny any longer though, and decided it was time to see him. She hoped he'd forgive her for her absence and who knows; maybe today she would find the courage to tell him how she felt.

A few blocks away, Tucker was feeling the same guilt that Sam did. He knew Danny had a thing for Sam even if Danny didn't. He also knew that Sam didn't feel the same way about him as she did Danny and still, he made a play for her. He felt bad for being relieved that Sam wanted things to go back to the way they were, but at least his stomach wasn't in knots anymore. He sighed as he turned the corner onto the street where his best friend lived.

Sam and Tucker showed up at FentonWorks at the same time. They laughed nervously as Sam rang the doorbell.

"I'll get it" Jack yelled to Maddie.

"Hi Mr. Fenton" they said in unison.

"Sam! Tucker! What can I do for you?"

"Can we see Danny?" Tucker asked.

"Sorry kids. Danny isn't here. He went with my pal Vlad to his house in Wisconsin. He'll be home Monday."

"He went willingly?" Tucker blurted out as Sam elbowed him in the ribs.

"Why sure he did! He's probably hanging out by the pool as we speak."

"Uh, Thanks Mr. Fenton. We'll just be going then." Sam said quickly, before the man could corner them and start showing them his latest ghost-fighting invention.

Sam and Tucker hated Vlad Masters. They knew Danny hated him. Why would he consent to go with him? What diabolical thing had Plasmius cooked up to convince Danny to go to Wisconsin? They were worried and tried to call him on his cell phone, to no avail.

"This can't be good" Tucker muttered as he tried the number again.

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Vlad woke up, momentarily disoriented, due to the warm body sleeping next to him. He always woke up alone. It was how he told himself he liked it. He watched Danny sleep, seeing the mist escape his lips at regular intervals. He relished the moment, already melancholy at the thought that this bliss would have to end. They still had two and a half days to spend together, but this wouldn't be able to continue once Daniel went home. How could they hide it? How could they explain it? Briefly, Vlad wondered what Danny would do if he just asked him to stay in Wisconsin – no taking over the world, no destruction or doom. Would he do it? Would he even want to?

He carefully extricated himself from Danny's arms, dressed and was about to leave the room when he heard a buzzing. He scanned the room and noticed the pile of Danny's clothes moving. He felt around and retrieved the offending cell phone. Tucker.

Vlad frowned and went downstairs, the phone still in his hand. Once the display flashed "new message", he opened the phone and dialed voice mail. Providing the password was no problem for Vlad. He punched in Danny's locker number, shaking his head.

"I really must talk to him about being so predictable," he thought.

"Danny, It's Tucker and Sam. We're worried about you. Your Dad said you went to Wisconsin. Dude, call me back. Let us know what's going on. We want to help."

Sam's voice cut in. "Danny, call us back. We need to hear from you soon. After your last run-in with _him_, we don't want to take any chances. Call us. A secret is no good if you're dead. Call us, please."

Vlad reset the voice mail and put the phone on the counter. From the sound of it, Daniel's friends were going to talk to his parents – soon. He remembered the fight the girl referred to. The fight truly could have ended Daniel's life. A wave of nausea came over him as he remembered squeezing Daniel's neck.

"Good Morning Vlad", Danny said, stifling a yawn.

Vlad stood up straight, trying to regain his composure. "Good Morning Daniel" he said, turning to face him.

Denny knew something was wrong again and he'd had it with the emotional roller-coaster. He looked at Vlad, and then noticed his phone on the counter. He figured that Vlad had either intercepted a call from his sister or got into his voice mail. "I gotta stop being so predictable" he thought.

"Are you ok Vlad?"

"Fine, thanks. Did you sleep well?"

Danny merely smiled in response.

"So… who called?"

"What?" Vlad asked nervously.

"My phone. Who called?"

Vlad blinked at Danny, trying to come up with a suitable response. Danny walked over to the counter, picked up the phone and called his voice mail. He listened to and erased the message from his friend.

"Look, I know that you heard that message. It's …well, it's not ok, but I kind of understand, so let's forget about that. I'm gonna call them. Sort of. It's just going to be a voice-mail thing, but still…"

Danny called into voice mail, punched some buttons on the phone and got to Tucker & Sam's mail-boxes. He explained that yes, he was in Wisconsin. He was fine and safe and would be home Monday. He ended the message by saying "No one's dying. Please keep the secret."

Vlad expected Daniel to explode at the invasion of privacy. Instead, the boy walked over to the refrigerator and poked around inside.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"What…?" Vlad began.

"What what?

"Breakfast. What do you want for breakfast?"

Danny laughed. "It's ok. I'm not upset. You look like you're gonna have a stroke, though. Calm down."

"Aren't you worried about them telling your parents?"

"No. They won't. I'm sure I'll get an earful when I get home, but so what? I'm already doomed to three-hour lecture by Jazz."

Vlad's relief was evident. His features relaxed and his mood lifted. He walked over to Danny and slipped his arms around the young man's waist.

"Vlad, I know the talk is coming, but for the next two days, I want to forget about Amity Park, school, all of it. I want to enjoy my vacation, here with you. Is that ok?"

"It's more than alright, Daniel. Now, about breakfast…"


	17. Chapter 17

After a large and leisurely breakfast, Vlad and Danny went out onto the deck. Vlad was still somewhat surprised at Danny's reaction to him snooping into his voicemail and even more surprised that Danny seemed to prefer his company to that of his peers.

"Daniel, I know we said we would wait for this conversation, but there are some things that need to be said…"

"Yeah, I know" Danny answered dejectedly. This where Vlad was going to tell him that there was no future in what was between them now. Danny was sure of it.

Vlad, for his part was exceptionally uneasy about what he was about to do. How could he tell Daniel he loved him? Nothing that he'd ever had measured up to how he felt about Daniel, he realized. "How did I let this happen?" he wondered. He motioned to Danny to sit down and took a seat next to him. They sat for a minute, admiring the view. The grounds of the mansion were truly breath-taking. Vlad always did love beautiful things. He turned to look at the young man beside him, not surprised to see him staring back. He saw sadness in Danny's eyes and smiled down at him.

"Your moods change quicker than anyone I've ever known. What's troubling you?"

Danny decided to take a leap of faith and be truthful, instead of getting defensive. He just didn't have the energy. "I don't want this to go away. I can think of reasons that it should. I'm sure you can, too. I don't care about any of it though. I have only one person in the world that understands me, whether or not I like it. I thought Sam… I'm not sure how I feel about her anymore. But this, I'm sure about this. I'm sure about you. And it scares me, because I know the reasons why you should walk away and I'm afraid you will, and we'll go back to who we were, fighting and…"

Vlad stopped Danny's rambling by putting a finger to his lips. He was surprised to find the boy was shaking as he pulled him close. "There will be no more fighting, Daniel." He said quietly.

"N..no?"

"No. I honestly have no idea what the future holds, but I, well, let's just say that the past few days have shown me how my life could be, and it's certainly more interesting than trying to take over the world."

"And my folks?"

"They're safe too, Daniel."

"Even my Dad? I know how he can…"

"Don't press the issue Daniel." Vlad interrupted, not wanting the mood to be totally ruined. "Now, I've answered your questions and we can leave the logistics for a later conversation. I promised your parents you would be well rested upon your return. What relaxing activity would please you?" he asked with a wicked grin.


	18. Chapter 18

Danny's idea of relaxation had nothing to do with resting, it seemed. His powers were much easier to control than his hormones and as soon as the question left Vlad's lips, Danny had attached himself to the man, kissing him for all he was worth. As far as Vlad was concerned, this was one attack he didn't mind losing. He let Danny guide him back inside the house, taking delight in the ferocity of the boy's kisses.

Throughout his whole adult life Vlad had never had anyone want him. Not like this. Vlad actually felt something inside him change. He was suddenly not the self-assured man he had been. He did not have much time to consider his feelings though, because Danny was pulling on his jacket in a feeble attempt to remove it before he got the bright idea to just make their clothing intangible. Before Vlad could react, Danny was on his knees, taking Vlad's hardening cock into his mouth, bringing it to full attention. Suddenly, he stopped his ministrations and slid his body up against Vlad. He cupped Vlad's chin and Vlad bent down to kiss Danny. When they broke for air, Danny whispered in his ear "Please fuck me". Vlad could think of nothing he wanted to do more.

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The rest of their weekend was spent in much the same way – eating, cuddling and having incredible sex. They actually talked about the world, Danny's plans for the future, some of the places Vlad visited. Vlad _was_ incredibly smart and Danny thought it hot. He wondered where things would go from here. He didn't know if he'd be able to go back home and pretend the weekend never happened. It was time for the conversation.

"Hey Vlad? Can we talk?"

"Mmmm. What about?"

"Well…"

"Alright. I suppose there isn't any point in putting this off any longer. I can only imagine the questions in your mind. I will tell you how this is going to go. You are under the age of consent for another what…six months?"

"Yeah."

"Very well. After a year has passed, if you want to come back here, my door is open. I will not see you before then"

Danny was dumbfounded. Was this not the most incredible weekend experienced by anyone ever? How could Vlad say he didn't want to see him for a whole year? He looked up at the man, the question evident in his eyes.

Those sad blue eyes hurt Vlad, but he knew he was right in this. He had to make Daniel see. He put a hand on the boy's shoulder and said softly "This is how it has to be. There is no way to carry on a relationship such as ours under the circumstances. You may be exceptional, but in the eyes of the law, _you_ are still a minor and that makes _me_ a pedophile. I've never thought of myself in those terms and it disturbs me, but that is quite beside the point. I will not go to jail"

"You think I'd tell anyone about this?"

"No, not really. But tell me, what is your suggestion? Do you plan on telling them the truth? Are you going to go home and tell your parents that you want to move in with Uncle Vlad? How do you think they'll react to that? Your father might be alright with it because face it Daniel, most of the time he's clueless. Your Mother, on the other hand…"

"Hey. Don't talk about my Dad. Why can't I come back after my birthday? I know. You wanna get rid of me already."

"No" Vlad shouted. "I do not want to get rid of you. Think Daniel. The reason I say one year is for school. It will be the middle of the school year. You are not quitting. You are finishing out the year."

"Oh"

"Oh indeed. Think about this, my boy. You have some unfinished business back home. You said you didn't know how you felt about the Manson girl. Why not find out? Take the year to learn and grow as a person. That way, when you do return to me, we'll know it wasn't just the heat of the moment."

"What about you? What are you going to do with the year" Danny asked morosely.

"I'm afraid you will have to leave me to my own entertainments, as I will leave you with yours."

"What about Plasmius?"

"I told you there would be no more fighting between us. I will keep my word. Beyond that, I don't know. I have a few things I need to figure out for myself. Do you think you're the only one whose life has changed?"

"What do you mean?"

"Since the night of our last serious fight, I've been having trouble sleeping and when I do sleep, I dream about you. I've chosen lovers because they looked like you. I didn't want to accept any of it but I can't escape it any longer. No Daniel, I don't want you to leave. And the man I've been most of my life is telling me to just keep you here, consequences be damned. But I can't do that now, can I? I could trick everyone into thinking you've been kidnapped or killed. I could just take what I want as I have for over twenty years. If I do that, what we've shared here will be lost, for then, you will hate me. If you want this to happen, then this is how it has to be. If I see you before the year is up, my resolve might crumble and I may just listen to Plasmius. It would be wrong, would it not?"

"This sucks"

Vlad laughed. "Yes Daniel, it does."

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When the jet landed, Danny's heart sank. His break was over and he had to go back to groping his way through the day-to-day angst that made up his life. Vlad gave him a squeeze around the waist. Danny turned to face him and was brought into a searing kiss. When it ended, Vlad took Danny's hand and told him that he would find it just as hard to stay in Wisconsin as Danny would to stay in Amity Park.

The engines came to a halt and the doors opened. Danny picked up his belongings and headed out of the plane, mentally preparing himself for the endless questions and lectures he would receive from his sister and his friends. He turned back to look at Vlad, who was staring back at him with clouded eyes.

"Be well, Daniel"

"Um, yeah. You too, Uncy Vlad" he answered, and then was gone.

"Ooh how I hate it when he calls me that" Vlad thought. "Yes, Daniel, Be well. For when you do return to me….."

(cue Vlad's always villainous-sounding laugh)

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Well, that's it for now folks. I hope you enjoyed. I still own nothing Mr. Hartman.


	19. Chapter 19

A few months had passed since the weekend that changed his life. Vlad sat in his favorite chair, as always, with a glass of brandy and the book he was currently trying to read. His mind kept wandering and he gave up on the book after reading the same sentence five times. He was tired, but restless.

True to his word, Vlad left Danny alone in human and ghost form. He was, however, far from idle. His business was taking up much of his time lately. Going legitimate wasn't easy. Since his weekend with Danny, Vlad had come to see possibilities never open to him before. He decided it was pointless to continue his relentless quest for wealth and power. He already had both. It wasn't why the boy had wanted to stay with him. It never managed to win anyone over for very long. Even his house staff had a high turn-over.

Yes, he kept his promise. Sometimes he felt like a martyr for it. He did miss the fights he had with Phantom. The distraction of plans and plots were just the means to get to the fights, he now knew. It was the only real interaction he had with anyone, even if it did involve ghostly violence. The time they had to work together against the ghost king actually meant something to him, though he didn't realize it at the time. Jack Fenton, curse or bless his heart, always welcomed him into his home. Vlad couldn't understand why the man hadn't turned on him by now. For those few days, despite the tension between the two hybrids, he was part of something. Family?

He was lonely though. It hurt worse than ever, because he now knew what it felt like to have someone care for him and want him and now that _someone_ was miles away, doing heaven knows what.

Being left alone with his thoughts, Vlad decided, was not a good thing.

* * *

It took hours for Danny to explain things to his friends when he returned from his getaway at Vlad's. He knew they really didn't believe him, but somehow, it didn't matter. He knew the truth. He fared better with his sister than he could have hoped. He only had to explain it once to her. She could see that he looked and felt better and decided not to push him.

In the months that followed, the ghost sightings and attacks on Amity Park had decreased dramatically. Danny found himself with free time on his hands. He was suspicious in the beginning, but as time went on and nothing cataclysmic happened, he relaxed some and decided to take Vlad's advice and figure out who he was.

He did confront his friends about what went on between them, but in the end, didn't hate them for what happened. "_Life can change in a heartbeat. I oughta know_" he thought. In no time, their friendship was the same as it had always been, except that Danny and Sam didn't have those blushy moments anymore. In reality, it was only Danny that didn't have them. Sam felt the same about him as she always did. In Sam's mind, Danny was just being clueless.

* * *

Jack and Maddie had a difficult time adjusting to the lack of ghost sightings at first, though Jack felt it more than his wife. He never stopped tinkering in his basement, while after a few months, Maddie actually stopped wearing her jumpsuit (to the immediate approval of her children). Even Jack was reminded, not that he ever really forgot, what a beautiful wife he had. She still helped Jack with his creations, but spent more time gardening, reading...doing non-ghost things. She even convinced Jack that the family needed a regular car, because the Fenton Family Assault Vehicle was such a gas guzzler. Jazz couldn't have been more pleased.

She guessed somehow, that Phantom and Plasmius had come to some sort of truce. She still didn't trust Vlad. After all, the man was obsessed with her mother and had tried repeatedly to kill her brother with ecto-blasts. For the time being, she decided not to ask questions and enjoy the pseudo-normalcy the lack of ghost hunting brought to her family's life.

* * *

Danny was excited. Today he was 17. He knew his mother would be making a special dinner for him tonight. His friends would be there. Even having school today wasn't going to ruin his mood. His mother was going to let him take the car to school.

He went downstairs and was greeted by his family, all wishing him happy birthday. They had breakfast together while his father blathered on about his latest invention. When he finally stopped to take a breath, Maddie handed a card to him. Danny recognized the handwriting from the study he'd been in six months ago and smiled.

"That card was slipped through the mail slot, sweetie. Who is it from?"

"Uh… I don't know. I'll open it later. I'm gonna get ready so I can pick up Sam and Tucker." And he ran upstairs.

Safely in his room, Danny read his card and found himself wishing he were in Wisconsin.

* * *

"I can just "stop in", wish Daniel a happy birthday...schmooze Jack and Maddie. The girl...Jasmine...she will be difficult. Perhaps she'll behave if she sees Daniel isn't upset by my presence..." Vlad thought aloud as he paced about his study. He took a trip to Amity Park earlier that morning to deliver a card and couldn't resist looking in on Danny as he slept. Since his return, he'd been trying to plan and justify a trip back there.


End file.
